[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7527-S7528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Tribute to Tom Udall

  Mr. REED. Madam President, I want to take some time to thank and 
commend my colleagues who are departing the Senate. All of these 
Members have devoted themselves to serving the Nation and serving their 
States. We are all better off for their service.
  Let me begin with my friend and colleague Tom Udall. Tom inherited a 
family tradition of fighting for the American West and its citizens. 
His time in the Senate only added to the Udall legacy.
  Tom has been one of our Chamber's leaders on conservation and the 
environment. He championed the creation of monuments and worked to 
block the Trump administration's harmful environmental policies. And, 
this year, he helped secure permanent funding for the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund, which was pioneered by Tom's father, Stewart Udall.
  Tom's commitment to the health of our Nation's environment has always 
been evident, and I was proud to hand off my role as the Democratic 
leader of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to Tom in 
2015. During his tenure, funding for the Interior appropriations bill 
grew by 25 percent, and more than 100 anti-environmental riders were 
blocked. These victories would have been impossible without Tom's 
ability to connect with his fellow Members and get things done. They 
are also a testament to Tom's deep knowledge of America's lands and 
resources.
  Of course, Tom's successes go beyond his environmental work. Tom has 
worked tirelessly to ensure our Nation's Native Americans receive the 
respect and support they are entitled to. He salvaged and ultimately 
passed bipartisan legislation updating the Toxic Substances Control Act 
for the first time since 1976, which was a big victory for public 
health. I was also pleased to work with Tom to pass legislation in 2016 
to help reduce and prevent suicide among adolescents and young adults.
  Finally, I am especially grateful for Tom's efforts to increase 
resources for

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the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. These Federal agencies are part of Rhode Island's late and 
great Senator Claiborne Pell's lasting legacy. They lift our spirits, 
tell our stories, and strengthen our sense of community. Tom's work in 
advancing these agencies has enriched our country and helped bring so 
many people together.
  Thankfully, Tom has said that, while he is leaving the Senate, he is 
not retiring from public service. I know New Mexico and our country are 
better off for that. I wish Tom and his family the best as they go 
forward.