[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7832-S7834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Leadership Change

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I rise to speak for the last time on 
the Senate floor as majority whip. With the swearing in of our 
colleagues in January, will come the changing of the guard in our 
elected leadership in which I have been proud to serve since 2006.
  As we all know, the whip is also known as the assistant majority 
leader, and I have been proud to assist our majority leader in all we 
have worked on together to accomplish in the Senate. I often tell 
people that ``whip'' sounds a lot more coercive than it really is 
because in the Senate, you can't really make somebody do something they 
don't want to do.
  I understand the term comes from the old country. It referred to the 
person in fox hunting who was responsible for keeping the dogs from 
straying during the chase--something I have never done and, no doubt, 
will never do.
  One of the fathers of modern conservatism, Edmund Burke, in the 
middle of a contentious debate in the British House of Commons, used 
the term as far back as 1769. When he used it, he was talking about 
enforcing discipline, not as a way to punish disobedience but as a way 
to stay focused on your goal. I think that meaning still holds because 
the overarching goal of anyone who serves in this position is to keep 
the team together.
  The first Republican whip was James Wadsworth, elected in 1915. He 
served in the Spanish-American War. He opposed Prohibition, and he was 
chairman of what was then known as the Committee on Military Affairs.
  In more recent times, the whips have been great Senators and friends, 
such as Don Nickles, Trent Lott, Jon Kyl, and of course, the current 
majority

[[Page S7833]]

leader, Mitch McConnell. All of these men have provided good examples 
and sound counsel to me at one time or another.
  What we have tried to do together is to build consensus, to make 
progress, little by little, for the American people, to seek to inform 
and gently persuade. Mainly, you listen, and then, one by one, you 
address your colleagues' concerns. Then it is the job of the whip to 
count the votes, as the Senate leader passes or defeats legislation, 
and provide advice and consent on nominees.
  It is the job of the whip operation to keep its finger on the pulse 
of the conference, to help the leader find a way to get from point A, a 
bill introduced, to point B, getting it to the floor, and then to point 
C, when the bill passes and becomes law. That road can be awfully bumpy 
at times. Sometimes, it is just like riding a roller coaster.
  As with any job, there are parts of the job you love more and those 
parts you love less. There has been a lot of handshaking after big 
victories, such as the Criminal Justice Reform bill we passed with a 
huge bipartisan majority last night, and then there is the headshaking 
after disappointments.
  It is true that occasionally in this job you come up short, but you 
learn from your mistakes, you course correct, and that failure can help 
you succeed later on down the road. That is what happened to us in tax 
reform. We learned from our disappointing outcome on healthcare and 
applied it to our next major objective. With tax reform, we laid the 
groundwork by going through the Finance Committee--regular order. We 
helped inform. We corrected misinformation, and we responded to 
feedback. We incorporated input from all Senators who wanted to be 
constructive and get to yes, and the final bill changed a lot along the 
way.
  Another victory I can think of is the passage of the Comprehensive 
Addiction and Recovery Act in 2016, which I think helped lay the 
groundwork for what we were able to achieve this Congress with the 
passage of landmark opioid legislation.
  Of course, there were a historic number of judges we were able to 
confirm during the first 2 years of the Trump administration, 
culminating in not one, but two outstanding additions to the U.S. 
Supreme Court: Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
  But the biggest challenge we faced this last year was the nomination 
of now-Justice Kavanaugh--hands down. Never in my experience has there 
been a bill or a nomination for which every single vote mattered more, 
and never have I seen the dynamics change so rapidly. The trajectory of 
the nomination fluctuated day by day, hour by hour, and sometimes it 
seemed minute by minute. As new press reports or rumors circulated, the 
whip operation worked overtime to make sure our colleagues had the most 
up-to-date information and knew what was and what was not accurate. To 
refute one rumor or accusation, my whip staff even had to find copies 
of 30-year-old high school yearbooks and go to the Library of Congress 
to research drinking games. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes truth 
is stranger than fiction. The research our whip staff put together made 
the difference for some of our colleagues in the homestretch.
  Eventually, as we now know, after a lot of hard work and long hours 
by an awful lot of people, Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed. But near-
death experiences can make life all that much more sweet. So the 
difficulties we faced together on the Kavanaugh nomination made his 
eventual confirmation all the more satisfying.
  Other highlights--the things I will remember the most and am most 
proud of--include the landmark bill we passed to combat human 
trafficking. The Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking Act--after 4 
weeks on the Senate floor, thanks to Leader McConnell and his 
perseverance, that bill ultimately passed 99 to 0, and we should be 
very proud of that.
  Following the horrific shooting at Sutherland Springs, TX, I 
introduced legislation to strengthen the gaps in the background check 
system for purchasing firearms. Those gaps had allowed a crazed shooter 
to cruelly take innocent lives one Sunday morning at a small Baptist 
Church outside of San Antonio.
  After we came together in a bipartisan way to pass this bill, I 
returned to Sutherland Springs. Being with those families, the 
community, and Pastor Frank Pomeroy--he and his wife lost their 
daughter--and letting them know we not only shared in their grieving 
but we had acted together to save lives by preventing future tragedies 
was one of the most gratifying moments I have experienced in the 
Senate. We couldn't wipe away their tears, but we could show the 
families that their loss had not been in vain.
  We have done a lot of other things that--while they didn't make the 
front-page news--will greatly impact the lives of Texans and all 
Americans. We helped America become the energy powerhouse we knew it 
could be--creating jobs along the way--by facilitating liquefied 
natural gas exports, and we ended the export ban on crude oil all 
together. These will have geopolitical consequences that will benefit 
the entire planet.
  We passed big bills, like the farm bill, and smaller but impactful 
bills, like occupational licensing reform, and legislation that 
improved trade between Mexico and Canada.
  Then came Hurricane Harvey, the most extreme rain event in our 
Nation's history. It hit the Texas gulf coast, and then after recovery 
was undertaken, we had the monumental task of putting together 
significant disaster relief for Texas as part of a larger disaster 
relief package that benefited many parts of the Nation.
  Our job still isn't over, but by linking arms together, the Texas 
delegation, which we call ``Team Texas,'' worked with Governor Abbott 
and other State and local leaders to get them what was needed from the 
Federal Government so that people could begin to put their lives back 
together.
  As whip, one of the best parts of my job was getting to know my 
colleagues better. I learned to listen to them more carefully. I 
learned that each of them has personal goals, political needs, regional 
interests, and philosophical principles that influence their decision 
making.
  We share a lot in common, but each of us is unique in mostly 
fascinating but sometimes infuriating ways. Even when you can't 
convince someone your position is the right one, you always can learn 
from that interaction, and that is valuable information that can be 
used on the next tough vote.
  I also learned a lot about the Senate as an institution. What makes 
this institution so interesting are the men and women who work here. We 
have doctors, business men and women, and farmers. Heaven knows, we 
have more than enough lawyers. We have spouses, parents, grandparents, 
great-grandparents. We come from different political parties and 
different parts of the country, but we share a common goal: to do right 
for the people we are privileged to represent and to make our country a 
little bit better than when we came.
  We have very public arguments, but we also get a lot accomplished in 
quieter moments--over lunch, in the Senate well, in the cloakroom, or 
sometimes in the Senate gym. During those moments, what shines through 
is my overwhelming impression of the intelligence, the seriousness of 
purpose, and the goodwill of the people who work here. That instills in 
me confidence that despite the swirling controversies that seem to 
engulf us, the Senate, as an institution, is strong. It is durable and 
will continue long after we are gone.
  The late great Bob Bullock, who served for many years as our State's 
Lieutenant Governor, participating in Texas politics for most or about 
half of the 20th century, used to say that there are two types of 
politicians: those who want to be someone and those who want to do 
something. I will say that in my experience, most people I interact 
with here are of the latter persuasion. They want to do something good 
for the American people.
  I want to express my best wishes to my friend, Senator Thune, the 
senior Senator from South Dakota, who is taking over the whip job in 
January. I have every confidence in his ability to do the job, but I 
also confessed to him it is not all sunshine and lollipops. There will 
be long days and tough votes. We have all heard the expression that 
being the whip is like trying to keep the bullfrogs in the wheelbarrow; 
as soon as you get one in, another one jumps out.

[[Page S7834]]

  But I look forward to continuing to help Senator Thune, the next 
whip, and the conference and the Senate in any way I can. He has my 
telephone number.
  Of course, when you are whip--like any job--you rely on your team 
members. I couldn't have gotten through these 6 years without a lot of 
help. First and foremost, I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to my 
mentor and friend, Leader McConnell. There is no one in the country who 
has done more to advance the conservative cause in recent times than 
Senator McConnell--no one. Robert Caro called LBJ the Master of the 
Senate. I would like to nominate another one: Mitch McConnell.
  Under Mitch's leadership in the last 2 years alone, we have bolstered 
our Nation's economy, fixed our Tax Code, and achieved real regulatory 
reform. We have transformed our Judiciary, improved veterans' 
healthcare, and addressed critical public health needs like the opioid 
crisis. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.
  We have certainly had our fair share of nail-biters--I seem to 
remember a certain debt ceiling vote, for example--and those 
accomplishments I mentioned were not easy, given the slim margins. But 
with Senator McConnell's leadership and more than a few prayers along 
the way, we did it together. I am proud of our record, and I am 
grateful for his trust and confidence.
  Of course, we couldn't have been successful without a strong and 
reliable team of deputy whips led by Senator Mike Crapo. I leaned on my 
deputy whip team regularly, and time and again, they delivered. So to 
Senators Blunt, Capito, Crapo, Fischer, Gardner, Lankford, Portman, 
Scott, Tillis, and Young, thank you.
  I also want to thank my whip staff, both current and former. This 
includes John Chapuis, Sam Beaver, Noah McCullough, Jody Hernandez, 
Emily Kirlin, Jonny Slemrod, and my first chief of staff, Russ 
Thomasson.
  What has been so amazing to me is how seamlessly my whip staff also 
worked with my Texas official staff as well. We all worked, literally, 
as one team. I thank all of my Texas staff for their contributions to 
our successes.
  We all rely on our staffs around here a great deal, and that is 
doubly true of my entire staff over the last 6 years. I have come to 
think of the whip operation as really an intelligence operation. These 
outstanding men and women have been my eyes and ears. They are all 
incredibly smart. They are devoted and hard-working.
  I say to all of them: Thank you for everything you have done to serve 
the conference and the Senate as a whole.
  As whip, you are provided with a security detail comprised of Capitol 
Police officers. These men and women are extraordinary professionals 
who have become like family. Their work often takes them away from 
their own families and friends as they travel around the country and 
sometimes miss holidays and special occasions. They, like all of the 
Capitol Police, keep the people who work here and visit here safe. We 
all appreciate what they do for us each and every day.
  Finally, I want to say a few words about my chief of staff, Monica 
Popp, who is the chief of staff of my whip office.
  Monica is often the first person and the last person on my staff I 
talk to each day. If Beth Jafari, who is my chief of staff in my Texas 
office, is the glue that keeps our operation together and operating at 
maximum efficiency, Monica is the spark plug of the operation.
  As impressive as her knowledge of the Senate is and of how the U.S. 
Government functions, that is not what sets her apart. She often, in 
her own gentle but determined way, has pressed me to make just one more 
call, to meet just one more time with a colleague, or to try just a 
little harder to nail down the winning votes. She is exactly the type 
of person you need to have in your corner, but it is her sunny 
disposition--her optimism--that is infectious. In addition to her 
extraordinary competence, that makes her indispensable.
  Monica is known for cultivating and maintaining strong relationships 
not only in the Senate but in the House and in the executive branch. It 
is not just limited to my party; some of her closest colleagues work in 
the leadership offices of our Democratic colleagues. The big bipartisan 
achievements I mentioned earlier could not have happened without Monica 
and her ability to lead a team and work across the aisle. Part of the 
reason she is so effective is she wants to know everything. She even 
wants to know what Members have for breakfast because she knows how 
circumstances and small events can sometimes provide insight in 
unexpected ways.
  Here is how our staff describes her:
  ``She is a problem solver.''
  ``When you think you're stuck, she'll find creative ways to get a 
solution.''
  The most instructive, I think, is this: ``You want to be around her 
just to learn.''
  I couldn't agree more.
  To Monica, I say thank you. We couldn't have done it without you.
  Even though I will no longer be serving as the majority whip, I am 
not going anywhere. Believe me--serving 28 million Texans here in the 
Senate is a big enough job for anyone. To borrow a phrase from a great 
American leader, our late President George Herbert Walker Bush--he 
said: I am a Texan and an American. What more can a man ask for?
  Indeed, it is an honor and a privilege to represent the great people 
of Texas, and I believe my time as whip has only taught me to be a 
better representative of my fellow Texans. As an elected leader, I have 
learned that sometimes you have to do things nobody else wants to do 
because they are controversial or they are risky, but I stand ready to 
continue to take risks and accept controversy in the pursuit of worthy 
causes.
  I close simply by saying it has been a privilege to serve as the whip 
for Texas, for the Republican conference, and for the Senate.
  Often, when I am introduced to audiences here and at home, the 
introducers will refer to me as the No. 2 person in the Senate. 
Occasionally, they will call me the second most powerful person in the 
Senate--obviously an exaggeration. Yet I have never been quite able to 
bring myself to correct them in public if only to save them the 
embarrassment. Let me just say I will now return to my previous life as 
the second most powerful person in my household and to my continued 
service to Texas and the world's greatest deliberative body.
  I yield the floor.
  (Applause, Senators rising.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question occurs 
on the confirmation of the Maguire nomination.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Maguire 
nomination?
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The President will be immediately notified of 
the Senate's action.

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