[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S170-S171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO BEN WARD

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, our third team member who is leaving is 
Ben Ward.
  I think of Ben as our appropriations wizard. He knows that system 
inside out, and he is the master of Tribal issues and natural resources 
issues and so much more. He is heading off to serve as the Office of 
Management and Budget's Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs. I think 
the whole world noticed his extraordinary talents, and we are looking 
forward to continuing to work with him as we strive to make the 
appropriations efforts as effective as possible.
  I think that virtually no one in Oregon has gone untouched by the 
work that Ben has done over the past 5 years. He has worked to get 
piping money to Central Oregon to assist the farmers. The farmers not 
only get more water, but more water gets left in the Deschutes River.
  He has worked very hard to advance the improvement of Native fishing 
sites, treaty fishing sites, on the Columbia River and the preparations 
to

[[Page S171]]

rebuild communities that were wiped out by the building of dams some 70 
years ago that have never been properly addressed. He has proceeded to 
help the Klamath Tribes secure the funds to improve the habitats for 
their sacred c'waam and koptu fish and to improve the whole, entire 
water ecosystem in the Klamath Basin for all of the stakeholders.
  When we had a big problem with sea lions that were blocking the fish 
ladders and blocking the mouths of streams and tributaries, he 
concocted probably more than a dozen plans to try to find one that 
could move through this legislative process and address the challenge, 
and he succeeded.
  He helped get funding so that we could have more people fighting 
fires on the frontlines, and he helped to get funding so we could thin 
the forests and treat the forests so that they would be less likely to 
burn in the first place.
  He helped us get money for the coastal ports so they could be drudged 
and so they would continue to operate appropriately and safely for the 
economy of the coastal ports.
  He helped us make sure we got help for the diverse agricultural 
research stations in Oregon and for the mass timber project that is 
developing whole new categories of engineered wood products that can 
build buildings that are 14 stories high out of wood rather than 
concrete and steel, utilizing our incredible supply of amazing wood in 
the Pacific Northwest. He also assisted our universities in getting 
funding for all kinds of programs.
  The list is almost inexhaustible, but I think we all understand the 
point. He is incredibly talented at seeing opportunities and is 
incredibly persistent in seizing those opportunities. That is Ben's way 
of getting things done. That is why he has been so valued, and that is 
why we will greatly miss him.
  Ben, we wish you all the best as you work on behalf of the Biden 
administration and the larger OMB process in coordination with the U.S. 
Senate.
  To each of these team members, I say that, once you are a member of 
Team Merkley, you are never not a member. You will always be part of 
our family. We so much appreciate what you have contributed to the team 
and what you have contributed to building a better world.

                          ____________________