[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 94 (Friday, May 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 258--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
                LIFE AND WORK OF SENATOR JOHN W. WARNER

  Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Reed, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
Schumer, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. 
Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Braun, Mr. Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cardin, Mr. 
Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. 
Cortez Masto, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Daines, 
Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, 
Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr. 
Hawley, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. 
Hyde-Smith, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. King, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Lummis, Mr. 
Manchin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
Moran, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Padilla, 
Mr. Paul, Mr. Peters, Mr. Portman, Mr. Risch, Mr. Romney, Ms. Rosen, 
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Sasse, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Scott of 
Florida, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Shelby, Ms. 
Sinema, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, 
Mr. Tillis, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warnock, 
Ms. Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Young) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
       Whereas John William Warner was born on February 18, 1927, 
     to John and Martha Warner;
       Whereas John Warner began his service to the nation by 
     enlisting in the Navy at the age of 17 to serve in World War 
     II and was discharged as a Petty Officer 3rd class and was 
     commissioned in the Marines during the Korean War, reaching 
     the rank of Captain;
       Whereas John Warner, using benefits from the Servicemen's 
     Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly known as the ``G.I. 
     Bill'') (58 Stat. 284, chapter 268), attended Washington & 
     Lee University and the University of Virginia Law School and 
     maintained a life-long love of the Lexington and 
     Charlottesville communities, who encouraged and supported the 
     completion of his educational pursuits;
       Whereas, in 1960, John Warner continued in public service 
     when he went to work in the Eisenhower White House and later 
     was tasked with serving as an advance-man for Vice President 
     Nixon during his presidential campaign;
       Whereas, in 1969, John Warner was nominated by the 
     President and confirmed by the Senate to serve as Under 
     Secretary of the Navy and later Secretary of the Navy;
       Whereas, in 1976, John Warner served as the Director of the 
     American Revolution Bicentennial;
       Whereas, in 1978, John Warner was elected to the Senate;
       Whereas John Warner retired from the Senate in 2009, having 
     won 5 consecutive statewide elections and after having served 
     as the second-longest serving Senator in the history of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia;
       Whereas, for 30 years, John Warner represented the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States with honor and 
     distinction in the Senate, building consensus and bridging 
     divides on critical national security and domestic policy 
     issues;
       Whereas John Warner spent his entire career in the Senate 
     as a member of the Committee on Armed Services, including 
     serving for years as the Chairman and Ranking Member of that 
     Committee;
       Whereas John Warner served as--
       (1) Vice Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence;
       (2) Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration;
       (3) a senior member of the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works; and
       (4) a member of the Committees on--
          (A) Homeland Security and Government Affairs;
          (B) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and
          (C) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry;
       Whereas, throughout his career in the Senate, John Warner 
     championed the needs of the men and women serving in the 
     United States military and of veterans;
       Whereas, through pay increases, enhanced military health 
     care benefits, support for the Department of Defense medical 
     research programs, enacting the TRICARE for Life program 
     under section 1086(d) of title 10, United States Code and the 
     Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38 
     U.S.C. 3301 et seq.; Public Law 110-252), John Warner 
     recognized that a first-class military depended on the well-
     being of the remarkable men and women who stepped into 
     service as well as their families;
       Whereas John Warner recognized the importance of diversity 
     and led by example, such as by--
       (1) having his Senate staff led by strong women for more 
     than 20 years;
       (2) recommending for nomination and successfully seeking 
     the confirmation of the first woman to serve on the Federal 
     bench in the history of Virginia;
       (3) recommending for nomination and successfully securing 
     the confirmation of the first African American to serve on 
     the Federal district court in the history of Virginia; and
       (4) recommending for nomination and successfully securing 
     confirmation of the first African American to serve on the 
     United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in the 
     history of the court;
       Whereas John Warner had a personal passion and love of the 
     outdoors that began as a young boy fishing on the Shenandoah 
     River and some of his proudest achievements legislatively 
     were ones to conserve sensitive and historic lands in 
     Virginia by expanding and establishing new national parks, 
     national wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, and completing 
     the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Virginia;
       Whereas John Warner was dedicated to improving the quality 
     of life for all Virginians and all people of the United 
     States, recognizing that our transportation systems were 
     critical components fostering economic growth and personal 
     safety;
       Whereas, by supporting transportation infrastructure such 
     as highways, bridges, airports, mass transit, bus systems, 
     and, particularly, the extension of the Metro rail system, 
     John Warner contributed to safe travel of the people of the 
     United States, expanded economic opportunities, and connected 
     rural and urban communities;
       Whereas, from leading the regional efforts to build a new 
     Woodrow Wilson bridge and expand Metro Rail to Dulles 
     Airport, to advocating for transportation research at the 
     Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and safety measures 
     such as the use of seat belts and air bags, John Warner was 
     fully committed to improving the quality of life for all on 
     the roadways of the United States;
       Whereas John Warner fully recognized the value of an 
     education and supported significantly increased funding for 
     the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
     1400 et seq.) and funding under title I of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.), and 
     he proudly played a lead role in writing the Teacher Tax 
     Relief Act, which provided a deductible tax benefit for 
     teachers in the United States;
       Whereas, while Senator Warner served proudly as a member of 
     the Republican party, Senator Warner was committed to putting 
     country before politics; and
       Whereas, on May 25, 2021, at the age of 94, Senator John 
     Warner passed away, leaving behind his beloved wife, Jeanne, 
     his 3 children--Virginia, Mary, and John--and numerous Warner 
     Brother & Sister staffers who loved him dearly and served him 
     loyally: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning the death of 
     Senator John William Warner;
       (2) extends heartfelt sympathy to the entire family of 
     Senator John Warner and those who knew and loved him;
       (3) honors and, on behalf of the United States, expresses 
     deep appreciation for the outstanding and important service 
     of Senator John Warner to his country;
       (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the 
     Senate--
       (A) communicate this resolution to the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (B) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the 
     family of Senator John Warner; and
       (5) when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a 
     further mark of respect to the memory of Senator John William 
     Warner.

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