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



                       Tribute to Lamar Alexander

  Madam President, with respect to Chairman Lamar Alexander, 
bipartisanship and compromise are synonymous, and they have also always 
been central to the success of this institution. No one has been more 
of a contributing factor to the successes we have had than Lamar 
Alexander, and he has embodied these principles during his time in the 
Senate.
  I first had the privilege of working with him on the Joint Economic 
Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, 
which he now chairs, and we have spent many years serving together on 
the Appropriations Committee.
  Lamar is focused more on getting things done than on making 
headlines. He worked across the aisle to pass landmark laws, including 
the Every Student Succeeds Act, the 21st Century Cures Act, and the 
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. He and I also worked together 
to enact laws that reduce infant deaths and make children's medications 
safer. These laws have improved the lives of countless Americans. They 
are a testament to Lamar's work ethic and the influence he has in the 
Senate.
  Lamar has also not shied away from tackling contentious issues. I 
have always appreciated his willingness to take lonely positions, 
particularly with respect to his thoughtful work on matters such as 
immigration and government shutdowns.

  I wish him well in the future. He has left an extraordinary legacy 
and example for all of us.