[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 202 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7117-S7118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MARTHA McSALLY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, now on an entirely different matter, 
as the 116th Congress draws to a close, I once again face a task that 
is among my favorite and least favorite jobs at this particular time: 
bidding farewell to some of the people we proudly call colleagues and 
friends. But I will take

[[Page S7118]]

any excuse to brag about the impressive men and women we get to work 
alongside every single day.
  Today, I will begin with the junior Senator from Arizona, Martha 
McSally. For the last 2 years, Senator McSally has held the seat 
formerly occupied by our dear friend John McCain. It is only fitting 
that our ``Maverick'' was followed by a fellow veteran and pilot who 
has approached her service to the people of Arizona with such unabashed 
pride.
  By her own account, if you had asked a school-aged Martha McSally, 
who was apparently both shy and prone to motion sickness, whether a 
career in cockpits and then politics sounded appealing, she would have 
looked at you like you were crazy. But, even then, the future full-bird 
colonel and Senator was already on her way to a life defined by 
service.
  When Martha lost her father, a Navy veteran, at a young age, his 
final words to her were: ``Make me proud.'' ``Make me proud.'' With 
this challenge in mind, the youngest of five children took her academic 
and athletic talents to the U.S. Air Force Academy. The plan was to 
earn a trip to medical school through military service.
  Back then, a ground-based career must have sounded like a sensible 
plan. After all, being a combat pilot wasn't an option back then for 
female officers, and, besides, she was on the wrong side of the height 
requirement for any pilot's seat. No women and no people her size were 
eligible at the time.
  But after a ride-along training mission in an F-16 during one of her 
summer assignments, Cadet McSally realized that flying was just too 
cool to pass up. Some doors were going to have to open to make it an 
option, but if those doors weren't open already, then, Martha McSally 
was prepared to bust them down. That meant shaking off three straight 
rejections for a medical waiver of the height requirement. It meant 
inventing new tests to prove her exceptional aptitude, not only among 
the female candidates but the entire pool. It meant not taking ``no'' 
for an answer and ruffling as many feathers as needed until she got to 
serve. Of course, none of these skills and talents would sound at all 
familiar to us here in the Senate--not at all.
  By the time our future colleague won her spot as the first woman 
behind the stick of a combat fighter mission, she was charting a unique 
course in more ways than one. Her place in the squadron had made 
history, and the jet she flew--the A-10 ``Warthog''--had a unique place 
of its own.
  The A-10 flies low over the battlefield. It provides close air 
support, hunting and destroying threats to friendly forces on the 
ground. It is a machinegun on wings that holds special respect among 
combat military.
  Many seasoned soldiers have a story or two about times when pilots 
like Martha McSally swooped in to get them out of a bind. So Martha's 
flight hours were literally clearing the way for her fellow 
servicemembers in more ways than one.
  Her trailblazing helped change the perception and treatment of women 
in our Armed Forces. In one instance, she took the DOD to court over 
unfair dress codes for female servicemembers overseas and won an 
important change in policy.
  Pretty quickly, folks caught on to the fact that when Colonel McSally 
put her mind to something, it got done. So, naturally, when the then-
Congresswoman was sworn in here in the Senate, she dove into tracking 
down answers for her fellow Arizonans, solutions for American 
servicemembers, and the care and justice her fellow veterans deserve.
  From her first day, Senator McSally reminded everyone here that 
public service is personal, that what we do here has a direct impact on 
the lives of millions of Americans. So after swearing the oath on a 
Bible recovered from the bombing of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, 
she brought her experience and expertise to solving issues that are 
personal to her and to others who have worn the uniform.
  In solidarity with her fellow A-10 pilots and the forces they 
protect, Senator McSally fought to preserve and fund that unique 
weapon. Using her role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, she let 
her own painful personal experiences with sexual assault in the 
military fuel the pursuit of justice for fellow survivors. She authored 
expanded protections for service academy students who experienced 
assault, she proposed new preservation requirements for service records 
to promote accountability, and she made sure each was included when the 
Senate passed Defense authorizations.
  Her service to men and women in uniform didn't stop with those on 
Active Duty. Senator McSally has also championed expanded care and 
services for our veterans as they transition back to civilian life, 
greater Federal support for telehealth and suicide prevention, and 
expanded veterans treatment courts.
  So many important changes have been enacted because Martha McSally 
made them happen.
  Last year, it came to her attention that one remarkable 95-year-old 
Arizona veteran had not received the formal recognition he deserved for 
distinguished service back in World War II. Senator McSally made sure 
he got that Purple Heart, hand-delivered, with dozens of young airmen 
on hand to honor him.
  The junior Senator from Arizona has charted a singular course. She 
has balanced respect for tradition with an eye toward the future. She 
opened countless new doors for others. At every single step, our 
colleague has done it with dignity, faith, and a deep love of her State 
and her country that she cannot help but wear on her sleeve.
  She departs with a long list of accomplishments and every reason to 
hold her head high. Wherever life after the Senate takes her, I am 
confident our colleague will continue to be the most enthusiastic 
advocate for her State--for its people, its prosperity, and its natural 
wonders. That includes all the interesting creatures that she and her 
four-legged wingman, Boomer, meet when they are out hiking the trails.
  No, I am pretty certain Martha McSally is not through fighting yet. 
So, Martha, on behalf of not just the Senate but the Nation, thank you 
so much for your service to our country, in uniform and here in the 
Senate. We wish you all the best in the bright days to come.

                          ____________________