[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 178 (Tuesday, December 3, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6768-S6772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Farewell to the Senate

  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, my friends and colleagues, today I rise 
with a full heart and an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It has been 
the honor of my life to represent my great State of West Virginia and 
this great country of ours.
  Fourteen years ago, I walked in this building not knowing what to 
expect. I had just left the best public service job of my life as the 
Governor of my great State of West Virginia. Everything I knew about 
the Senate I had heard and learned from Robert C. Byrd. Though I was 
stepping into his seat, I knew I could never, ever fill his shoes. But 
I truly believed that I could continue to bring our commonsense West 
Virginia values to Washington and do even more for our great State and 
our country. I really believed that in my heart.
  Throughout my life as a public servant, I had seen the power of good 
people coming together to solve tough problems. Sometimes we thought it 
was impossible, but we did it.
  Now as my time here comes to an end, I want you to know my belief in 
the potential of this institution and each and every one of you that 
represent it remains as strong as ever. I have said this, I believe in 
you probably more than you believe in yourself at times.
  You don't come into politics looking for fame or fortune--or at least 
you shouldn't. You come in because you believe you can make a 
difference in

[[Page S6769]]

helping your neighbor, your community, and the country that has given 
you so very much.
  I was not elected to take a side. I was elected to represent all 
sides. The only side I ever truly believed in is the American side, 
which I believe we all belong to. And that is why I entered public 
service all those years ago. It was not a dream of mine to be a 
politician or be in public service. But I can say with a clear 
conscience that I have always tried to serve the people first, putting 
country before party, principle before politics.
  Each and every one of us are products of our environment. We are who 
we are because of who raised us, where we were raised, and how we are 
were raised. It never should leave you. It never has.
  I was raised in Farmington, just a small coal mining town in West 
Virginia, where we learned early on the best way to get ahead was roll 
up your sleeves and get to work. Pretty simple. My grandparents were 
born in Czechoslovakia on my mother's side and Italy on my father's 
side. They all came to the country in search of this American dream 
they heard about. They were thrown into survival mode early on. And 
they wanted a better life for themselves, but, most importantly, for 
the generations to follow.
  They all taught me the value of a good education combined with hard 
work and the importance of helping others. Always be conscious of your 
surroundings and the people around you. From them I learned a core 
principle: You have a moral obligation to help those who can't help 
themselves. Very clear.
  Able-bodied people who fall on hard times don't need a continuous 
handout. What they need is a hand up to get back in the fight of life. 
I believe the greatest gift you can give someone when they are 
struggling is a job. It is not just about earning a paycheck; it is 
about dignity and purpose and the hope that goes with it.
  I have always believed that this was true for government too. 
Government is not designed to be your provider. It is designed to be 
your partner--and the best partner you ever had.
  The most effective government programs are the ones that people get 
to work. They give them a sense of purpose and help them build a better 
future. During the Great Depression--and all of us who know our 
history--do you ever remember the Federal Government sending anybody a 
check? Not one time did we ever hear of FDR sending checks out. He sent 
hope and opportunity. And we rebuilt America. We did it. We put 
people back to work. That is really what it is all about. Government is 
there to help you during difficult times. There are Americans out there 
today--many, many Americans all over our great country--that need a 
second chance. They really do. And we should give it to them. That is 
our responsibility.

  For example, in 1946, the Federal Government intervened to stop a 
nationwide coal strike because it was destroying our economy coming out 
of the north. Something had to be done. In exchange for returning to 
work, the United Mine Workers of America received a guarantee from the 
Federal Government that their pensions and their healthcare benefits 
that they had worked for and earned would be guaranteed for them for 
their life.
  Over the next 60 years, Congress had to step up to make good on this 
promise as individual coal companies' bankruptcies threatened to take 
away all they earned--everything.
  In 2019, after Murray Energy declared bankruptcy, the entire system 
was on the verge of collapse. And nearly 100,000 coal miners--not just 
from my State but all over the country--and their families were about 
to lose everything, nothing to look forward to. Every one of us stepped 
up. Democrats, Republicans worked together to make sure we fulfilled 
the promise that the government made 60 years ago.
  But somewhere along the way, government stopped being a partner and 
started being a provider. It is not good for people who end up trapped 
in a system of dependency and poverty, which we all have some in our 
States--some have it way more than others. It is time to put the 
relationship between government and the people back in its proper 
place.
  When I started in the West Virginia State House of Delegates, I was 1 
of 100--1 of 100. I went to the State senate and became 1 of 34. Then I 
became secretary of state. Then I became Governor of the State of West 
Virginia. At every step, I asked myself one simple question: How can I 
be in a position to help more people in my State--1 of 100 and 1 of 34 
and 1 of 1?
  Then I had the opportunity to go to the Senate to really do something 
extraordinary for the whole country, helping millions of people. That 
question has been my compass that eventually led me here to the U.S. 
Senate. And that is exactly why we are all sitting here, I believe. And 
when asked what my politics is, I never have hesitated to tell you, I 
am fiscally responsible and socially compassionate. It is the way I was 
raised. Again, you go back to your childhood--where you were raised, 
how you were raised, and who raised you. That was it. Take care of 
yourself and help others when you can.
  As secretary of state, I launched a program called SHARES, Saving 
History and Reaching Every Student. No one had heard anything about 
this. We had to do something because our voter turnout was low, and I 
was secretary of state. I had to get an insurgence there. So we came up 
with this program.
  First, we went into the schools because they weren't teaching it. 
Democracy and education, everything that is needed to be done in the 
schools wasn't being done. What we had done then, we would go in there 
and we taught every high school--every person in West Virginia who was 
17 years of age who would turn 18 on or before the general election 
could vote in the primary at 17 years of age.
  Then we had a contest. Jennings Randolph was the father of this 
contest. We put his name on it. What we did then is we gave out 
certificates and schools of excellence if they got everyone--100-
percent--registered.
  Let me tell you what happened there. Once we got all the kids 
involved and got them wanting to go vote--now that they knew they could 
at 17 years of age and they were going to be 18 before or those who had 
already turned 18--they started taking their parents back, their 
grandparents back, their aunts and uncles. Our voting percentages went 
up tremendously just to get them enthused. I said: We can't get the old 
dogs back in the barn--in the house, but we can teach those old dogs 
new tricks. It wasn't about who won or lost. We wanted them to 
register. We never told them how to register or what party to be in. I 
saw firsthand what we could accomplish.
  So when I tell you it wasn't exactly my plan to join the Senate, when 
Senator Byrd passed away in 2010, I had to make one of the toughest 
political decisions in my life. But I saw an opportunity to serve more 
people and tackle bigger challenges. That weighed on me heavily. Our 
State was in good shape. We worked hard. I had been there 6 years as 
Governor. We worked together tremendously. I thought, man, we can 
really do something together. We will come here and work together.
  I have to admit to you, it was a harder transition than I expected. 
Coming here to Washington was so humbling. It really was. I came in 
thinking, OK, here we go. We are going to work together, just like we 
did in West Virginia, to solve the Nation's problems now--not West 
Virginia problems, but the Nation's problems.

  But it didn't take long for me to see that the divisions here went 
pretty deep. One of my first conversations with Harry Reid--Harry's 
conversations weren't very long, so it was short. He asked me to 
fundraise for Democratic candidates to run against sitting Republican 
Senators--which, I guess, both sides, that is just the way it is. I 
didn't know that.
  Where I come from, they take you behind the barn, and we will have a 
little conversation.
  I told him: Harry, I am not going to raise money to attack my friends 
and colleagues just because they have an R by their name. How do we 
expect to work together when I am working against them when they are in 
the cycle? I am not going to do that.
  Of course, I didn't win a popularity contest with Harry either, but 
it sure felt like the right thing to do. Equally important, it felt 
necessary. If the Senate was going to work on behalf of the people, we 
needed to treat each other

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with respect. I have tried to do that with everybody.
  I don't look at anybody sitting here who I feel is not my friend. I 
feel very strongly about that. I signed an ethics pledge on this floor 
to never campaign against a sitting colleague. I have other colleagues 
sitting here who feel the same as I do. I am looking for more 
signatures. I want to keep working on that. I think it would be 
wonderful if we just controlled ourselves and wouldn't campaign against 
each other. I am a little bit persistent. I am going to give it 
everything I have for the next however many days I have, and I'll still 
be around even a little after that.
  Despite all that, we achieved remarkable things the past 14 years. We 
set a new standard for Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. My colleague 
Senator Capito and I worked on so many things together. I appreciate 
her very much. The New River Gorge became a national park. We just 
agreed to acquire 2,700 acres of the Blackwater Canyon, which is the 
most beautiful venue. We have been trying 20 years to make this happen. 
It is finally coming to fruition.
  The whole country can enjoy something. You can't believe how pretty 
it is. We are anxious to share West Virginia with everybody.
  We maintained West Virginia's status as an energy powerhouse. The 
Mountain Valley Pipeline is flowing. Companies like Nucor, Berkshire 
Hathaway, and Form Energy have brought new facilities to West Virginia 
and thousands of new clean energy jobs.
  Success in West Virginia is part of a larger American story of energy 
innovation and independence. We have always been a powerhouse in 
energy, whether it be coal or natural gas. Now we have wind and solar, 
battery storage, and everything in between.
  In 2023, America produced more energy than ever. I want you to hear 
this. In 2023, we led the world in energy production: 38 trillion cubic 
feet of natural gas was produced; 4.7 billion barrels of crude oil, 
which is a record; 11 billion cubic feet daily of LNG; 238 million 
megawatt-hours of solar; and a record 6.4 gigawatts of new batteries 
installed on the grid. Nowhere in the world does that happen but here 
because of all of us.
  You can't eliminate your way to a cleaner environment. You heard me 
say this so much. You can't eliminate--just quit using stuff. You have 
to innovate through technology. That is why we funded the development 
of regional hydrogen hubs and made sure one of them would be in the 
Appalachia region. It needed to be there because that is where the 
powerhouse is. This is one time California and West Virginia agreed on 
the same thing. We are both from hydrogen hubs, and it worked out well.
  As I have always said, when you hit a pothole, it doesn't care if you 
are a Republican or Democrat. It is going to bust your tire.
  And we needed to do something about infrastructure. We really did. By 
focusing on investing in roads, bridges, airports, pipelines, and 
broadband in the bipartisan infrastructure law--which we all should be 
extremely proud of--we not only created jobs, but we strengthened the 
very economic foundation of this Nation. We had deferred maintenance 
for over 30 years and done nothing about it. But we got to do the job 
that needed to be done. And we did it together.
  In West Virginia, we secured over $1.2 billion in broadband to make 
every resident have access to internet by the end of this decade. We 
have some tough terrain to work in. And they are going to get it, 
thanks to so many of you all sitting right here.
  We also secured funding to finish Corridor H. It has only been on the 
books since 1964. We think we are going to get it done. We have been 
working a long time with this.
  With the Chips and Science Act, the United States is bringing 
semiconductor supply chains back home. We are creating good-paying jobs 
supporting American innovation, manufacturing, and advancing our 
national security.
  West Virginia, like so many States, is one of the most patriotic 
States in the Nation. We are home to many veterans and servicemembers 
today. To honor our veterans, like each one of you, we fought to expand 
veterans' access to healthcare and prevented the closure of VA 
facilities in West Virginia.
  Every day, we work to improve the lives of West Virginians. Together, 
we protected health insurance with preexisting conditions. We brought 
down healthcare costs, including $35 for insulin for seniors and 
established a multifaceted strategy to combat the opium epidemic. That 
is one thing that we have to conquer and we have to cure. It is just 
unbelievable what it has done to our country and each one of your 
States.

  Lastly, since day one in the U.S. Senate, I have worked to protect--
and I want to repeat this--I have worked, and I believe with every bone 
in my body and every fiber in me and every ounce of blood that I have, 
to preserve the bipartisan foundation of this Senate, and that is the 
60-vote threshold of the filibuster. I believe in that with everything 
in me. I do.
  Each of these victories required Senators to come together from both 
sides to find solutions. These were bills that just made common sense, 
and when each side could take a little step to find common ground, 
powerful things happened.
  But with the successes, I have seen more than my share of missed 
opportunities: legislation that was overwhelmingly supported by the 
American public, bills that would have significantly improved the lives 
of millions of Americans, immigration reform, background checks for 
guns, balancing the budget--too many opportunities to fix what is 
broken in America that have slipped right through our fingers--not 
because of any disagreements we might have had or substantial 
disagreements; these opportunities were missed because the politics got 
in the way of doing our job, stopped us from doing it.
  I am not saying that dealing with politics is easy. It is not, and it 
is messy at times. I have had my share of tough votes, and at times, I 
felt like the whole Senate was united in being upset with me. So maybe 
we did. Maybe we were able to bring you together. I don't know. I 
tried.
  Anytime I was confronted with a tough decision--I know you have heard 
me say this--I relied on where I came from, how I was raised, and who 
raised me. I would just tell them: I can't explain this back home. It 
doesn't make sense. I can't vote for it. I am just sorry. Please don't 
be upset. It is who I am.
  And you all have been tolerant at times.
  If it didn't make sense, as I said, I couldn't vote for it.
  The stark reality is that we face some serious challenges today. In 
one of my first hearings in the Armed Services Committee, I asked 
former admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--
I asked the general: What is the greatest threat facing our country?
  I had been a Governor. I had not been in Armed Services. I had just 
gotten there. And I think I see my Senators shaking their heads--they 
were there with me. We asked that question, and I was chomping at the 
bit. What is he going to tell me? He never hesitated, never missed a 
minute. He said: Our national debt, which is more threatening than any 
other country's military might, will take us down first. The national 
debt will take us down, as it has most developed nations in the world.
  That went through me like--I don't know--just like wildfire.
  So let me just tell you: Today, our national debt is $36 trillion. 
And I know there are Senators here who feel the same as I do. That 
breaks down to $104,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. 
This is not sustainable--not sustainable. This is something you all 
have to cure, and I know you will.
  It is terrifying to think that by the end of this fiscal year, the 
United States will spend more on paying interest on our debt than we 
will to defend our country or help Americans everywhere--more on the 
debt than anything else.
  Our current immigration system is broken. Our southern border is a 
disaster. It is plain and simple: We must secure our border and support 
legal immigration. You can't do one without the other; you have to be 
able to move forward.
  American leadership means standing with our allies and standing up 
against

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authoritarianism. We must continue to support both Israel and Ukraine 
as they fight to protect democratic values.
  We have four countries of major concern we talk about--I think we are 
all in agreement--China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, all of which 
are basically challenging the international rules-based order, and they 
simply do not share our values. No matter what we do or what we say, no 
matter what we try to entice them with, it is not going to happen. They 
don't share our values.
  Lastly, inflation is driving our high cost of living, and it has to 
be addressed. We can't kick this can down the road any longer. But 
there is nothing we can't solve if we just start working together.
  You may not know this, but one of my favorite memories from this 
place didn't happen in the Senate Chamber; it really happened on the 
boat. A lot of things happened on the boat.
  Anyway, I had invited, like I have done a lot, Senators down. We had 
Senators coming down one day. They were walking down, and Tom Harkin, a 
very progressive Senator from Iowa, a good friend, was there. He said: 
Joe, it is the first time I have been on the Potomac River. I have been 
here for 30 years and have never been on it.
  I said: Good, Tom. Come on, sit down, have a little beverage, and we 
will get things going here.
  About that time, he saw Ted Cruz walking down the ramp to get on the 
boat. He said: Joe, I don't think I can do this.
  I said: What?
  He said: I don't think we can be on the same boat together.
  I said: Come on, Tom, give it a shot.
  Ted got on the boat with Tom, and before you knew it, they started 
talking. I don't know what they were talking about. It probably wasn't 
politics. But by the end of that day, the next day, they started 
working on some amendments together and doing legislation.
  That is just the power of sitting down and listening and getting to 
know each other, and we don't do that much here. It is hard for us to 
get together. We know that. We need more of that in Washington. I hope 
you all make an effort to visit with each other, spend a little bit of 
time.
  I am not going anywhere, gang. The boat is still going to be there. 
You all call me whenever you want to come down. We will get together 
whenever you want.
  Many of our differences pale in comparison to the disagreements 
between the Founding Fathers in 1789, but they understood what was at 
stake, and they were willing to put their differences aside to build 
something extraordinary. We need to recapture that spirit today.
  To my colleagues, I will leave you with this challenge: Every day ask 
yourself, what have I done for my country today? What have I done? Not 
for your party, not for your donors, but for your country. After all, 
that is why we are here. That is the purpose of us being here.
  We have to stop demonizing each other. We have to argue over ideas--
that is fine--but not personalities. You can argue over ideas but not 
personalities. We are all elected, and we all should be respected for 
that.
  George Washington warned us about the dangers of political parties 
dividing our country over 200 years ago, and we are living in the world 
he feared today.
  The easiest vote to take here is no. We all know that. You can retire 
pretty handsomely here if you just vote no on everything, because, you 
know why, there is never going to be a perfect bill. You can always 
find something wrong. You don't have to explain ``no''--you don't--
because half the country is mad at everything anyway.
  So you can get by with a ``no'' vote, but if you want to get 
something done, that is not the purpose of being here. Find another 
job. This is a place where you have to take tough votes, and let's get 
things done.
  The political process has taught us that Americans want to be for 
something. They want to be for something--something that captures the 
hearts and captures the minds of people to give them something to live 
for. It is not enough to just run against something or someone; be for 
something.
  As I look around the Chamber and I think back on the good times and 
bad times, I want you to know I still believe in this system. I really 
do. I believe in the purpose of what we have and basically the 
challenges we have before us. I believe in the institution of democracy 
and the need to cherish it.
  We have created something pretty special here in America, and no one 
ever thought it could be done, especially for 240 years. And we still 
can do great things. We can have a military--that is still peace 
through strength--while also having compassion. We can have financial 
stability and prosperity while still helping Americans and people 
around the world in need. We can do all that.
  You hear people talk about the American dream like it is some kind of 
a myth, like it is gone; we don't have it anymore. I want to tell you 
this: I am standing here, as many of you are here, because of that 
American dream. You don't hear people chasing the China dream or the 
Russian dream. I never heard anyone say: Oh, I am thinking about that 
China dream or that Russian dream. That is because the American dream 
is unique. There is nothing like it. Think about it. Look around. There 
is nothing like what we have got. It is about freedom and opportunity 
and the belief that if you work hard, you play by the rules, you can 
build a good life, and it is the only dream that allows you to control 
your own destiny, the only dream that you can control.
  Thomas Jefferson once said, ``I like the dreams of the future better 
than the history of the past.'' Think about that. ``I like the dreams 
of the future better than the history of the past.''
  I believe in our future, I believe in the American people, and I 
believe that when we come together, great things are going to happen.
  We are better because we put around us all these wonderful people, 
these staff, as I look around. None of us could do it without them. I 
don't need to tell any of you how we feel about our staff. I have staff 
that is currently with me, and I have staff that have moved on, and I 
can only say: Thank you. I love you.
  With that, they are the backbone. They do all the hard work, and they 
know that. I try to say thank you as much as I can. I am not good at it 
as much as I should be, but I think they know in my heart how I feel 
about each and every one of them. I hope so.
  I am also here with the most important assets of my life--my wife 
Gayle up there and my family. I have my children, I have my 
grandchildren, I have my brothers and sisters, my brothers-in-law and 
sisters-in-laws--I have everybody here. I just appreciate and love you 
all so much.
  Really, without our family and the support of our family, we couldn't 
do it. They put up with so much.
  I always wondered why my Uncle Jimmy--my Uncle Jimmy was really a 
character--why he was missing at so many of the functions we had at the 
holidays. He was always out politicking somewhere. They had to have him 
here or there. I said ``My goodness, we are more important than that,'' 
and then I found myself 35 years old, getting into the same thing I 
condemned him for--not being around. It is a calling. It really is.
  So to my wife and to all of you, I want to say thank you. I love you, 
honey, and I love all of you.
  I love all my staff and all of you. I know you are going to do great 
things.
  Any of you all looking for good staff, there are some good people 
sitting around here that you are going to maybe want to talk to.
  As I told you, the boat is still going to be docked here. Anytime you 
want to have a gathering, please call. I will be there. We will put it 
on for you. We will have a good time. We will have the dancing and the 
music and all.
  Chuck said some nice comments on the floor, but he left out one 
thing. Every time we have been on the boat, one thing we do at the 
end--do you remember? Lee Greenwood, ``Proud to be an American.'' We 
all hug each other in a circle. That is what it is all about. That is 
more of what the country needs right now. It needs more of us together, 
listening to each other, respecting each other, working together.
  So I would like to say this: God has blessed me and blessed you with 
the opportunity to do something for a lot of people. They are counting 
on us. And I think the challenges before you are going to be more 
daunting than ever

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before. But, again, I said I believe in you more than you believe in 
yourself. I know you are up to the challenge. I know you will do the 
job. I really do. I believe that. I am going to be rooting, screaming, 
and hollering for my team. This is my team. All the D's and the R's and 
the I's--you are my team, and I love each and every one of you.
  Thank you for giving me the honor of a lifetime to serve in I think 
the greatest deliberative body the world has ever known and ever will 
know--the United States Senate.
  God bless the State of West Virginia, and may God continue to bless 
the United States of America.
  (Applause.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.