[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 27159]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    RETIREMENT OF SENATOR ROD GRAMS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as this session of Congress comes to an 
end, I want to speak about my friend and colleague from the State of 
Minnesota, Senator Rod Grams.
  A former television news personality, Rod Grams, in his term in the 
House of Representatives and in the Senate, quickly established himself 
as a proponent of assistance to farmers and as an advocate for the 
establishment of a national nuclear waste repository.
  As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has been an 
opponent of international agricultural sanctions and a strong supporter 
of vigorous foreign trade. He supported IMF funding, trade with China 
and review of the U.S.-Cuba relationship.
  He joined the bipartisan effort to enact strong brownfields cleanup 
legislation. Rod Grams earned a reputation as a strong supporter of tax 
relief, favoring elimination of the marriage penalty and other tax cut 
proposals.
  While Rod Grams and I have disagreed on a number of issues, I respect 
the commitment which he has brought to policy debate. Where we 
disagreed, I found Rod Grams to be a straight-talking and agreeable 
adversary. I wish him and his family well in the future.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, for the past six years, I have had the 
privilege of serving in the Senate with Rod Grams, a colleague who has 
distinguished himself on a number of important issues including budget, 
tax policy, and agriculture. He has served Minnesota with distinction 
as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Senate Budget 
committee, and the Joint Economic Committee.
  On a national level, Senator Grams is perhaps best known for his 
``Families First'' plan, first discussed as part of the 1994 Republican 
budget alternative. This plan included a $500 per-child tax credit, a 
recommendation that eventually became part of the 1997 Balanced Budget 
Act.
  On a more parochial level, I have worked closely with Senator Grams 
on issues affecting our farm communities, and in 1997 to help our 
states recover from the disastrous floods along the Red River Valley. 
Communities along the Red River were devastated by this 500 year flood 
which disrupted business and forced thousands of families from their 
homes.
  Senator Grams worked closely with delegations from North Dakota and 
South Dakota to make certain that the urgent needs of so many families 
and communities were met. He played an important role in ensuring 
bipartisan support and passage of the disaster relief legislation that 
was so critical for our states at that time. I know that many North 
Dakota families and businesses are very grateful for his support.
  I extend my best wishes to Senator Grams, and his family, and my 
appreciation for his support on critical agricultural, budget, and 
disaster issues that we have worked together on in committee and on the 
Senator floor together.

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