[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to James M. Inhofe

  Mr. President, I do want to take the opportunity, though, to thank 
Senator Jim Inhofe for his incredible leadership of the military 
affairs committee--the Senate Armed Services, excuse me, and his 
dedication and his commitment to our military.
  In North Dakota, we have the Minot Air Force Base, we have the Grand 
Forks Air Force Base; so I am particularly appreciative that Senator 
Inhofe is, in fact, a pilot because not only is he a steadfast advocate 
for our military in every respect, but as a pilot, certainly, the Air 
Force is something that he understands, appreciates, and has provided 
incredible support for the amazing work that our men and women in 
uniform in blue do.
  And as I have worked on issues related to my State at the Minot Air 
Force Base and the Grand Forks Air Force Base, without exception, when 
I have gone to Chairman or Ranking Member Inhofe for discussions and 
help on issues important to the Air Force in general, but certainly to 
our bases, he has been there and his understanding and his commitment 
to listen, to truly be a gentleman, to listen, and to consider what it 
is you are working on--he wasn't always able to do it just the way you 
hoped maybe it should get done, but he always made sure that he worked 
through the issue in a fair way and came to a good result. And in many 
cases, that result occurred in the near term; sometimes it took a 
little longer.
  But I think that commitment to consider everybody's point of view and 
work with both sides of the aisle--his relationship with current 
Chairman Jack Reed I think is remarkable, and I think the two of them 
leading our Armed Services Committee has made a big difference. Their 
relationship and how they approach things, which in many ways is 
similar, is the reason we have been able to get the NDAA legislation 
passed across the floor, even at times when it has been very difficult 
to do. They have led the way, and I know that they are working hard and 
will continue to lead the way again this year on the NDAA, and Senator 
Inhofe will be deeply missed. He is truly a friend and an advocate for 
our military, and his incredible devotion to them will be missed. And 
we thank him for it and for, as a colleague, the way he has approached 
every issue that he has worked on during his time here in the U.S. 
Senate.