[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14483-14499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING SENATOR CRAIG THOMAS

  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I got a very early phone call from my 
daughter in Italy. Of course, their time is 6 hours ahead of ours, and 
they heard about Craig before we did.
  I have listened to some of my colleagues talking about Craig. You 
know, there are some people you have more in common with than others. I 
can recall Craig and I both came to the House of Representatives about 
the same time. Then we both decided we would run for the Senate in 
1994. That was a decision we made. We talked to each other and we 
decided that that would be the best thing for us to do and perhaps we 
would be able to articulate our concerns a little bit more.
  He was a marine, I was in the Army. We had a lot in common. I think 
it was Mitch McConnell or perhaps Harry Reid this morning who talked 
about his calm toughness, his way of expressing himself. I have always 
been very envious. I would come down, and I would watch Craig Thomas on 
the floor. He would say things as antagonistically, as offensively as I 
would, except people loved him when he said it and they hated me when I 
said it. I was never able to master that. I watched him day after day, 
month after month, and year after year being able to do that.
  I think Mike Enzi is right when he said Craig Thomas was the voice of 
the Senate. Let me correct Senator McConnell on one thing he said. I 
chaired the Environment and Public Works Committee when Craig Thomas 
was on that committee. This morning Mitch McConnell said he was as much 
at home on a horse as he was in a committee meeting. Well, let me 
correct you because he was much more at home on a horse than he would 
be in that committee meeting. I can remember seeing him staring off, 
and then I would go over and visit while some people were testifying, 
perhaps on the other side, and he would tell me his stories. He was a 
real cowboy. A lot of us ride horses in parades; he was a real cowboy 
and such a great guy.
  Many years ago, I was mayor of Tulsa. We had our annual meeting in 
Ketchum, ID. I was flying a plane up there, when we were weathered in 
in Saratoga, WY. Saratoga, WY, is a town that Lewis & Clark came 
through at the bend of the river. I fell in love with that town. For 
the next 7 years that I served in the capacity of being mayor, I always 
purposefully stayed in Saratoga, WY.
  I went up to him in the House of Representatives in the 1980s, and I 
said: Craig, you know when I was in--when I would stop, make my stop in 
Saratoga, WY, and stay at the Wolf Hotel--I might add, I would stay at 
the Wolf Hotel in the presidential suite; it was the only one with a 
bathroom in it. I told him almost everyone I would run into on the 
streets of Saratoga, WY, reminded me of Craig Thomas. These are salt-
of-the-earth people, wonderful people, people I learned to dearly love.
  Kay told me this morning, when we heard about Craig, she said: You 
probably forgot this, but when you were in voting on the day that we 
had the spouses dinner, that was 2 weeks ago today, on Tuesday, I saw 
him walking across the parking lot while I was waiting for you to vote, 
and he was walking a little slower than usual. I said: Hey, handsome. 
And his whole face lit up. And he came over and he embraced Kay. That 
is the way that he was to a lot of people. So let me say this to Peter, 
Paul, Patrick and Lexie and Susan. Susan, you have some people you have 
heard from this morning who dearly love you and would love to have some 
way of comforting you. We know how difficult it is. We will pray for 
you, for your kids. I have to say this also, I do not think it has been 
said yet about Craig.
  Craig Thomas was probably the most consistent Member of the Senate 
prayer breakfast because he was always there. Mike Enzi knows this 
because he is the chairman now. He was always there. I give the 
Scripture at this thing. So we knew that if we did not see Craig Thomas 
anyplace else during the week, we would see him at the Senate Prayer 
Breakfast.
  The Senate Prayer Breakfast is similar to a lot of these things. It 
is based on Acts 2:42. Acts 2:42 is the genesis of these meetings you 
do on a regular basis. You get together and you do four things: eat 
together, pray together, fellowship together, and talk about the 
precepts of Jesus together. We talked about the precepts of Jesus 
together every Wednesday morning.
  That is the comfort I had with Craig Thomas. Some people, you wonder 
if they are going to be there. But Thomas you didn't wonder, you knew. 
So, Craig, all I can say is, this is not goodbye, this is, ``We will 
see you later.''
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Who seeks recognition? The Senator 
from Alaska is recognized.
  Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, it was with great sadness that 
Catherine and I learned of Senator Craig Thomas' passing last night. 
The people of Wyoming have lost a tireless advocate and a skilled 
leader. Those of us in the Senate have lost a true friend and a genuine 
inspiration.
  Craig and I remained close throughout our time as colleagues. I 
visited with him on matters pertaining to resource development and 
ranches probably more than any other Member of

[[Page 14484]]

the Senate. These weren't visits concerning legislation, but simply to 
share experiences and to get advice.
  Although Craig came to the Senate much after I did, he possessed a 
wealth of knowledge, particularly about the West. I had the privilege 
of marrying into a family with small ranches in Arizona. Craig and I 
talked often about horses, the problems facing ranches and cowboys, and 
how they can endure in today's economy.
  In each of the past several years, Craig has introduced a resolution 
designating a National Day of the American Cowboy. More than any other 
member of this body, Craig recognized there is more to cowboys than 
roping, riding, and branding. From the Wild West to the Last Frontier, 
cowboys have long symbolized the spirit and determination which makes 
our Nation great. It was my pleasure to help sponsor Craig's 
resolutions, and this year, on July 28, we will pay special tribute to 
a man who truly embodied the American cowboy.
  Craig was always mindful of the best interests of other Western 
States. As a Senator from Wyoming, he represented a State with a great 
many problems in common with those of us from Alaska. Craig was 
renowned for his legislative efforts regarding national parks. His 
efforts to improve rural health care greatly benefitted his 
constituents and continue to serve as a model for our Nation.
  Above all, I remember working with Craig on resource issues related 
to coal, oil, and land management. He was steadfast in his efforts to 
increase domestic energy production. He fought to secure funding for a 
coal gasification plant in his home State, and he also supported 
exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
  To deal with Craig Thomas was to deal with a gentleman, a person who 
had absolute knowledge of the topics he spoke on. You couldn't talk to 
him without becoming aware you were talking to a marine. As far as I am 
concerned, marines have something special about them--an absolute 
steadfastness, honesty, and integrity. Craig exemplified these 
qualities.
  It is hard for me to realize he is now gone. Just before I left to go 
home this past recess, I stopped Craig and told him we are praying for 
him and to hang in there. Our great friend Susan Butcher also died of 
leukemia. She went through the same process Craig did. He told me he 
was going to stick with it. He thought he was going to be able to beat 
it. Everyone who met with Craig in the period after he was diagnosed 
with leukemia had to admire his courage, his absolute courage.
  Craig's concept of life impressed me most. He lived life to the 
fullest. He had a wonderful family, four wonderful children, and a 
wonderful wife in Susan. He was also the essence of a Westerner. I have 
known many Westerners in my day, but never one who was as consummate a 
Westerner as Craig Thomas. The people of Wyoming were blessed to have 
him representing their interests. Whenever he went home, Craig traveled 
throughout his State, from one small community to the next. We compared 
notes about how Wyoming residents faced problems similar to those of 
the people of Alaska.
  With Craig's passing, the Senate has lost a great leader in terms of 
Western values. But we have also lost a man who was a friend. He had 
the qualities everyone cherishes in a friend. And as the Senator from 
Oklahoma has said, he was very devout. You couldn't talk to Craig 
without realizing he had tremendous faith in our Maker. He was guided 
by this faith, and it kept him going during the past few months.
  It is also hard to understand that leukemia is such a violent 
disease. This year alone, more than 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed 
with leukemia. The type of cancer which afflicted Craig, acute myeloid 
leukemia, has a 5-year survival rate of just 21 percent.
  If there is anything I would add to what is going to be said today, 
it is that we must do more. We must do more to prevent this disease. We 
must learn as much as possible, and apply as much research as possible, 
because very few people survive their tremendous battle with leukemia. 
Of all people, I really believed Craig might. When I left for the 
Memorial Day recess, I had a good feeling--Craig was going to make it. 
He told me he would soon start another round of chemotherapy, but 
because of his strong faith, he had no fear of what lay ahead.
  I hope the Senate takes a lesson from Craig Thomas' attitude as he 
faced this adversity. After being diagnosed with leukemia, Craig faced 
trials and tribulations we can hardly imagine, and we will remember him 
as an example of a man with great moral strength and great faith in 
God. In honor of his memory, it is my hope we will join together and 
find a way to apply more funds to research leukemia, whose devastating 
impact has now taken a good friend from our Senate family.
  This morning, the Casper Star-Tribune published several individuals' 
recollections of Craig. One of his former staff members, Liz Brimmer, 
said, ``In unassuming and generous ways, he did more for Wyoming, more 
for Wyoming people, than most people knew. His positive spirit 
permeated every interaction. Fiercely loyal and generous of spirit, 
Craig was funny and tenacious all in the same moment . . . He loved 
people and loved to make a difference. What better mark of a man?'' I 
wish I could find words as eloquent and as fitting to describe this 
extraordinary Senator.
  We all mourn his death, and we send our love and best wishes to his 
family. Susan had a husband, and his children had a father, without 
equal. Craig Thomas was a family man through and through, and I am 
deeply saddened by his passing.
  When I thought about him this morning, who he was and what he meant 
to the Senate, a few words came to mind. In a place of great debate and 
heightened political excitement, Craig Thomas was always a gentleman. 
That says something. It certainly is something we will remember. In a 
time and place where we often raise our voices in anger and emotion, 
Craig Thomas was always soft spoken, but he was always heard. In a time 
when many of us fail even our own standards in terms of integrity, he 
was a man of high integrity, honorable and humble. In a place where 
many show weakness, he always showed strength, that quiet strength of a 
Wyoming cowboy.
  I thought about his last battle with cancer. You could tell, when you 
saw him on the floor or passed him in the hallway, the therapy had 
taken its toll on him personally. Yet there was always a smile on his 
face, a determination to overcome the odds, and a very optimistic and 
positive word when you asked him how he was doing. Those are the things 
I remember about Craig Thomas.
  We serve with many people. They come and go. The annals of history do 
not record them all as great, but each one of us is lucky to be here 
and lucky to develop the friendships and relationships we do. 
Politically, Craig Thomas and I were worlds apart. There might not be 
any starker contrast in voting records than Craig Thomas and mine, but 
it didn't make much difference when it came to his friendship and his 
personal relationship. I am going to miss him. I am going to miss that 
Wyoming cowboy who had the Remington bronzes in his office that I 
walked by and looked at every time I came down the corridor. I will 
miss his smile and his courage. But I am going to be reminded by his 
example of how we can all be a little bit better in what we do here in 
the Senate.
  I extend my sympathies to his wife Susan, his family, his staff, and 
all of his friends. He was truly a great Senator. I was honored to 
count him as a friend.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the 
Senate as in morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ISAKSON. In the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, the 
Bible teaches us that there is a time for everything; a time to live 
and a time to die, a time to reap and a time to sow. Last night became 
the time that Craig Thomas left us. For that we are all

[[Page 14485]]

sorry and extend our sympathy to Susan and all his family and the 
people of Wyoming. But for all of us today and for years to come, it 
will be a time for us to reap the benefits of having known Craig 
Thomas, having benefited from his service as a colleague in the Senate, 
but for the people of Wyoming as a great servant to that State. I don't 
know if there are two finer people who ever served the Senate than Mike 
Enzi and Craig Thomas. To have a matched set of rock-solid, quiet but 
humble, and strong men to serve a State is quite a unique privilege for 
that State and a unique privilege for all of us who serve.
  On this sad occasion of the passing of a great Senator and a great 
friend, I know I will benefit and reap for years to come from the 
service, the passion, and the integrity of Craig Thomas.
  I honor his life.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Madam President, I rise to address the Senate in 
morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. I am saddened by the passing of a good friend, Senator 
Thomas. I express my condolences to his family, the people of Wyoming, 
Senator Enzi, and to all of us who knew him and loved him. I have not 
served long with Senator Thomas. It was a joy to hear this morning how 
he was described by Senator Enzi, who has known him for a long time. My 
memories of him are as someone who always was kind, always friendly, 
offered me a helping hand on my first days in the Senate. I know he has 
been described as an authentic cowboy. I certainly always viewed him as 
that. He seemed to be the real deal, the real McCoy.
  I remember speaking before the break with the Senator, telling him 
how good he looked. Of course, he already knew he was headed back to 
another bout of chemo, but he didn't dwell on that. He was telling me 
that he was feeling good, and he did look good. He looked a lot better 
than he had been, and we were all encouraged. He certainly believed in 
that assessment as well.
  In the last few months, he has been ``down the road'' from us, and he 
has been responsible for the candy drawer, a little Senate tradition. 
As we were talking before the break, standing there, he was commenting 
on his pride in the Wyoming taffy candy he had introduced to the candy 
drawer. He was a Wyoming promoter to the very end.
  I relish the good memories. I know we are all sad today at this 
incredible loss. My heart goes out to the members of his family. We 
will do all we can to support all those who loved him.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I rise to speak as in morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. Madam President, on behalf of Kathy and myself, we send 
our deepest condolences and expressions of sympathy to Susan and her 
family on Craig's passing. Susan and Craig were good friends of ours. 
Susan is and Craig still is. They are special people. They are people 
whom you like to call friends, the type of people who are there. And 
they had a special relationship. I don't know how many votes we cast 
together. It was a lot. Craig arrived 2 years after I had. We would 
walk out of this Chamber together very often, and Susan, because she 
was here in Washington, would almost always be right out there, right 
outside the door, with a great smile to greet us, even though we 
probably just lost the vote.
  Craig was special because, as has been mentioned and said so well by 
his partner Senator Enzi and his colleagues, Senator McConnell, Senator 
Inhofe, Senator Stevens, Senator Isakson, Senator Martinez, and the 
Democratic leader, Senator Reid, and Senator Durbin, everybody 
respected him. You may not have agreed with him, but you could not help 
but respect him. He was quiet but accomplished and understood the 
issues. He was a man of inordinate common sense. When he would look at 
an issue, he would cut through all the puffery, all the theater, of 
which there is a fair amount around here, and he would get to the 
essence of the question. Then he would bring common sense to the 
question. Yes, it was common sense born out of a philosophy, which is 
our side of the aisle, which is conservative, but it was a common sense 
that cut across ideology most often because it was usually so obvious 
what the conclusion would be as presented by Craig.
  I had the great good fortune--I don't know how it happened, but it 
was good fortune for me--to end up spending almost every Tuesday lunch, 
where we do policy, and almost every Wednesday lunch, where we do 
steering and get together as Members of the Republican Senate to 
discuss whatever is happening, to sit beside Craig. We sort of 
gravitated to each other. That is sort of ironic, me being from New 
England and him from Wyoming, but I think there is a certain, 
hopefully, identity of our approaches to events. I am certainly proud 
to say that. The great fun about sitting beside Craig was that not only 
did he have this wonderful common sense, but he had an extraordinary 
sense of humor. He would listen to statements made, often by our 
leadership--I do not wish to be disparaging here; I am simply being 
kind--and he would make some smiling, thoughtful comment that was 
usually fairly humorous and a touch irreverent about comments made by 
our leadership as to what we should be doing. You couldn't help but 
laugh because he was a person who had a sense of self, a sense of 
humor, a focus on what was right and what was wrong and what life 
should be about.
  This disease attacked him, but honestly, you couldn't convince him 
that it attacked him. You would ask him how he was doing. He would say: 
I am OK. Even though you knew he was going through extraordinary pain, 
you would never, ever--at least I never, ever--hear him complain. He 
was a genuine marine in that sense.
  He will obviously be missed around here. He was a low-key person who 
had a high-level impact. I will certainly miss him. I will miss him at 
those lunches and I will miss seeing Susan outside the door.
  To Susan and his family, Kathy and I say: He was a great friend, and 
we will miss him.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. ALLARD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ALLARD. I rise to honor my friend Craig Thomas, the Senator from 
Wyoming who passed away last night, and to express my sympathy to 
Susan, his wife, and to his family and to the people of Wyoming. Joan 
and I and my staff feel we have had a very special relationship with 
Craig and Susan and his staff.
  Two weeks ago the Senate passed S. Res. 130 declaring July 28 as 
National Day of the American Cowboy. This was the last piece of 
legislation Senator Thomas pushed through the Senate. It is so true to 
his spirit. Senator Thomas was himself a cowboy, a roper. He understood 
that as a symbol of the American West, cowboys represent much more than 
men on horses. They stand for courage, determination, hard work, and 
respect for nature. They stand for the West itself and for those who 
wish to protect and preserve it.
  His work on the Energy and Environment Committees was a testament as 
well to his belief that the land we have been blessed with needs 
stewardship and care, and that those who live on and work with the land 
are often the best at doing so. Craig tried to take care of the land, 
especially the Wyoming he loved so much. This connection with the West, 
his concern for land management, and the way of life of those who lived 
on the land, should be his legacy. Craig rode forward into the end of 
his life so bravely that most of us never knew how bad his health was. 
He told us he was seeking treatment, but the end came quickly and, for 
him, stoically.

[[Page 14486]]

  It was always a pleasure serving with Senator Thomas--first in the 
House of Representatives, then in the Senate, where we collaborated on 
a whole range of issues. The proximity of our home States and our 
shared interest and passion for natural resources and energy issues 
provided many opportunities to partner on legislative efforts.
  During the 2001 anthrax attack on the Hart Senate Office Building 
that pushed several Senators out of their offices, I was happy to offer 
Senator Thomas and his staff space in my office for several months 
until his office was deemed safe again. During that time I was able to 
get to know him and his staff even better.
  I offer my condolences now to his staff. He was the type of man who 
was not just a boss but a friend as well. I know they are hurting. He 
will be remembered for being the quintessential Wyoming cowboy, a 
gentleman with quick wit and humility of spirit that endeared him to 
his colleagues and made him a joy to us all.
  Any man who can list cowboy, United States marine, husband, and 
father on his life's accomplishments lived life well. The Senate has 
lost a gentle giant who served his State and Nation with honor and 
distinction. Joan and I are keeping Susan and the family in our 
thoughts and prayers. I will miss my friend, Craig Thomas.
  Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I ask to speak for up to 10 minutes in 
morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Mexico is 
recognized.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I first note the presence on the floor 
of the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Enzi. I note also 
present in the Senate is a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the desk 
that was occupied by the other Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Craig Thomas.
  I want to say to Senator Enzi, first, we will all have an opportunity 
in the next few days and weeks to speak about the Senator who was your 
colleague who left us last night, and we all will have an opportunity 
to speak with you and see you on more occasions than this to express to 
you our heartfelt sorrow for the loss of your colleague.
  You will suffer a lot of things that will be downers during your life 
in the Senate--and because we all live our lives, things happen, go up 
and go down--but I am quite sure you will not have an opportunity to 
suffer any more severe a loss than the loss of your colleague who was 
at the same time a cowboy, a marine, a Senator, a father, and, clearly, 
a husband.
  He had a wife named Susan. Everybody who knows her loves her. My wife 
loves her. I called my wife early this morning, after I heard, and I 
was so pleased she answered the phone herself because I thought: Where 
will I get her? We may get caught up in the maze of today and maybe I 
will not be able to talk to her until tomorrow, or maybe Nancy will not 
be able to talk to me. But, sure enough, it was at 8:30 this morning I 
was able to talk to her.
  Her first words, after knowing who I was, were words coming out of 
her mouth saying: He did a good job for Wyoming, didn't he? I said: You 
bet. Then: I am sure, not knowing the rest of his life, he must have 
done a good job in a lot of other areas. Probably he was a good 
husband--to which there was no answer because that was not intended as 
a question. He obviously was a wonderful man. Quiet, sort of 
unassuming, but he was a very involved Senator, especially when it came 
to Wyoming.
  Very early on, as he worked his way from the House, where he replaced 
Dick Cheney, over to the Senate, where he had been elected, he decided 
he would work for his State. You did not hear of him a lot on national 
news because he was busy doing what he thought was best for him as a 
Senator, and that was, representing that great State of Wyoming. What a 
State that is, and what a Senator they had.
  From my standpoint, I served with him on two committees. The one I 
know the most and remember the most is the one we served the longest 
on: Energy and Natural Resources, which the occupant of the chair has 
served on with us. But when it came to this man, he frequently worked 
with Democrats on serious issues because he wanted to get things done.
  If there is one thing I noticed as we worked together, shoulder to 
shoulder on this committee, it was that he was impatient because he did 
not understand when we wasted time and he did not understand why we 
were doing some certain things. He would ask: Why don't we get on with 
what we are supposed to do? What are we talking about this for? This is 
not policy. We are talking about a bunch of little things we ought not 
be involved in. I think I remember that more than anything else: Can't 
we get on with it?
  I remember he was burdened with the fact there is a substance in his 
State called trona. The other Senator from Wyoming might know about it. 
He must know about it. Apparently, they were having competition in the 
world, and he thought the royalties were too high. I don't know. 
Anybody who served on the committee must have heard the word ``trona'' 
because he was all over that issue, wanting to get somebody to listen 
to him about the unfairness of it and to help solve it.
  I did not get to serve with him on the Finance Committee and other 
committees he served on, but it would be my guess he was the same way 
on all of them, that he showed up when he should and did his job as 
best he could, and that when the chips were down, you could count on 
him. When the chips were down, he did what he said. He voted the way he 
would tell you. He worked the way a dedicated person works.
  For me and my wife, on this day, shortly after his death, I want to 
say in the Senate that Wyoming sent us a true man. I do not know 
whether it was the marines who made him a man or what it was, but he 
was truly different. He was tough minded. He was quiet. But he was 
impatient, and he wanted to get good things done.
  I am positive his relatives and his great State will never forget 
him. He will be remembered by them, just as we remember him. He will 
leave them, and they will have a big void, without a question, because 
a giant part of their lives leaves. That goes for Wyoming, and that 
goes for his wife Susan and their children. I think there are four of 
them. I did not get to meet them. But if they are like their mother and 
father, they could not help but be great.
  With that, I say goodbye to the Senator, and I extend my sorrows to 
his wonderful wife, and, hopefully, I will be part of whatever ceremony 
there is for us to send him on his way.
  May God bless his family and him, and may whatever he aspired to get 
done, get done by others who follow him because he set such a wonderful 
basis to get those things completed for his State.
  I thank the Senate and I thank the junior Senator from Wyoming for 
the kind man he is. I will be seeing him, and I say to the Senator, if 
I can help you during these times, please call on me. I am available.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Indiana.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, the thoughts and prayers of my wife 
Charlene and myself are with Susan today and their four children, as we 
think about Craig Thomas, our dear friend, our colleague, a man who has 
been such a wonderful presence in our lives in the Senate.
  Much has been said, and quite correctly so, about Senator Thomas as a 
cowboy, and certainly he was, and his rich heritage of experience in 
the Marine Corps, as he volunteered to serve his country after college. 
But I want to stress two or three things that perhaps have not come to 
the attention of Senators in the same way this morning,

[[Page 14487]]

one of which is that Craig Thomas was a person who was vitally 
interested in the Far East. He served for a period of time on the 
Foreign Relations Committee, and during that period of time, as I 
recall, was either the subcommittee chairman or heavily involved in 
hearings and in working with our Ambassadors to countries in Asia.
  For a variety of reasons, because Craig always sought opportunities 
to serve Wyoming in whatever committee assignments seemed most 
appropriate at the time, his service on the Foreign Relations Committee 
was not a long one, but he continued that service by holding breakfasts 
in his office. I was privileged to be invited to those breakfasts in 
which famous people from abroad, especially the Far East, were his 
guests. These are ladies and gentlemen he had met during his foreign 
travels or during his work in Wyoming in which they might have been of 
value to his State.
  It was an extraordinary set of experiences. I stress ``experiences'' 
because there were many of these breakfasts. I encouraged him to 
continue on. I enjoyed the fellowship of the people he brought together 
as well as Senators he brought into an orbit of understanding about the 
Far East, through his own ministry in this case.
  I have been impressed in addition--speaking of breakfasts and the 
fact that Senator Thomas was a regular at the Aspen Institute 
breakfasts that are held right here in the Capitol on Wednesdays and 
Thursdays frequently throughout the legislative year. I am advised as 
many as 24 of these breakfasts are held on the subjects which the Aspen 
Institute Congressional group is focusing.
  Among the things on which the group has been focusing in recent years 
has been problems with Russia and the Balkans and developments in 
Eastern Europe, the problems certainly in education generally as a 
subject for our schoolchildren in this country, problems in Latin 
America, the problems of the environment and energy, and, 
appropriately, problems in Asia and especially China in the Far East.
  I noticed Craig Thomas, when it came to these breakfasts, usually was 
there on time and listened to the lecture or the paper that was being 
given by the speaker, and that he frequently proceeded on, perhaps, to 
another breakfast or another appointment without severely questioning 
either other Members of Congress or the speaker at the time, but was 
intensely interested. Because we frequently saw and listened to the 
same people, this led to many rich conversations which I was privileged 
to have with him. I would ask him: What did you think? What were your 
impressions of that speaker today? He always had some very concise 
impressions.
  But a third thing I simply want to mention, in addition to these 
breakfasts, is the sense of good humor with which those impressions 
were cast. He had his own unique sense of humor, and yet it was clearly 
there and very much a part of the personal association each one of us 
enjoyed with the Senator.
  Likewise, that sense of humor was shared by Susan, appropriately. I 
can remember so many times outside the door to this Chamber Susan would 
be standing there at about 6:30 at night or some such time. It was 
obvious she and the Senator were going to dinner or had some activity. 
But one of the delightful things was that so many of us had been 
visiting with Susan over the years. We had a lot to say to her and she 
to us, always with a wonderful sense of humor, with a sense of the work 
we are about, how unusual to some this schedule seems, how absurd it 
may be to others, someone who had her own vocation as a very remarkable 
teacher and someone who understood the needs of children.
  It is not surprising that Craig would attend the Aspen Education 
Conferences in addition to his far-flung interests in Asia and most 
importantly, obviously, the land use issues and the remarkable ability 
of people to make a living off the land in his home State. It was 
finally in that capacity that I enjoyed the best conversations with 
Craig Thomas because he was deeply interested in agriculture, as I am. 
We come from very different kinds of agriculture, yet there was a 
profound understanding of the challenges and the joys of people who 
make their living from the soil; likewise, from the husbandry of 
animals and the combination of forestry, and even the mineral uses of 
lands--much more abundant, I must say, in the State of Wyoming than in 
Indiana. But we both understood the nature of that income, the nature 
of the challenge, and the importance of State and Federal legislation 
as it pertained to those farmers. So I will miss those conversations 
especially because that is a heritage of land in which both of us have 
been involved in our families, and I suspect his will continue.
  Our thoughts are with the family today. We are never prepared for 
such a day. That is why many of us perhaps are rambling on occasion in 
our thoughts as we collect them about this outstanding Senator and 
wonderful friend. But it truly is a privilege to have this opportunity 
on the floor of the Senate to pay tribute to my dear friend Craig 
Thomas.
  I thank the Chair.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Nebraska is 
recognized.
  Mr. HAGEL. Madam President, this is a sad day for all of us. Wyoming 
and the Senate have lost Craig Thomas. He was a neighbor. He was a 
friend. He was an individual whose life was committed to his country 
and his State.
  Often, when he would refer to my State of Nebraska, he would say: Oh, 
yes, that State of Nebraska; that is where Wyoming sends all of its 
wind. He said other things as well. Many times, he and Senator Enzi 
were responsible for stealing Nebraska's water. Other than those 
obvious flaws, Craig Thomas was one of those unique individuals whom we 
have heard his colleagues speak of this morning. None have exaggerated 
in their descriptions of this remarkable man. He, as has been noted, 
was a marine. He was a straight shooter. He was born and raised on a 
ranch in Wyoming. When you add all of that up, what else could he be 
but a straight shooter?
  He worked hard, as has been noted here this morning. Chairman Lugar 
outlined some of the participation of Craig Thomas on the Foreign 
Relations Committee where I, too, had an opportunity to serve with him. 
No one was ever better prepared when he spoke, more knowledgeable of 
the subject matter, and more a joy to be around because he never lost 
the most important element of each of us; that is, a humanness, the 
human dynamic. He had a special humanity that is not always easy to 
retain in this town and in this business. But that is what Craig Thomas 
was, and I think that is what most of us admired most about him.
  If service to America is one of America's highest and most important 
values, then Craig Thomas's legacy speaks volumes because that was his 
life. Lilibet and I offer our sympathy and our prayers to Susan and to 
the family. He served with great distinction and always put others 
first.
  One last comment about a memory of Craig Thomas for me. In 1996, when 
I was campaigning for my first elective office to the U.S. Senate and 
when there was a very legitimate question of whether I was worthy of 
election and whether I could win, Craig Thomas flew over from Wyoming 
to central Nebraska and spent a day campaigning with me in 1996. Craig 
was the first U.S. Senator to help me, to come into my State, and that 
day I spent with him talking about water issues, agricultural issues, 
the Marine Corps, and service to our country inspired all who were 
around him. I noted that those ranchers and those water resource 
specialists and others whom we visited on that campaign tour that day 
responded to him in a way that was rather special. I later learned 
through my almost 11 years in the Senate why people responded to him in 
such a special way.
  We will miss him. He leaves our institution, his State, and his 
country better than he found them.
  Thank you.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee is 
recognized.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, we will miss Craig Thomas. Craig 
Thomas would want it to be said that he was a conservative. He enjoyed 
expressing conservative views on this

[[Page 14488]]

floor. He enjoyed expressing conservative views in our Energy Committee 
on which we served together, and the Senator from Louisiana and I 
served with Senator Thomas. He kept his feet firmly planted on the 
ground in Wyoming from which his conservatism came. He obviously well 
represented the people of Wyoming because he barely noticed there was 
an election last year. When Craig Thomas ran, he was elected by an 
overwhelming margin.
  Craig Thomas was a conservationist. He was chairman of the National 
Parks Subcommittee during the time I served on the Energy Committee, 
and he enjoyed that very much. I am not a bit surprised because he took 
great pride in the fact that Yellowstone, a great, premier park--I can 
say that even though we have the Great Smokies in Tennessee--but 
Yellowstone, which has such a special place in the hearts of all 
Americans, Craig Thomas took special pride in his jurisdiction of that 
responsibility. He was honored by the National Parks Conservation 
Association a couple of years ago. Craig Thomas was awarded the 
singular honor of the National Parks Conservation Association for his 
stewardship of our national parks.
  Craig Thomas was no-nonsense. That came from several places, I 
suspect. One was, as the Senator from Nebraska noted, he was a marine. 
One was that he was a cowboy, a real cowboy. I saw Senator Inhofe 
talking about him in that respect. Another reason is he came from 
Wyoming. I see that Senator Enzi from Wyoming is here. Wyoming 
citizens, I have noticed, don't waste words. They think about them 
before they say them, and they often don't say them. They don't feel a 
need to fill every vacuum with a string of words, which is an unusual 
characteristic on the floor of the U.S. Senate, but Craig Thomas was 
such a person. I think, in fact, he grew up in Wyoming, came from 
Wyoming, lived in Wyoming, kept his feet planted in Wyoming, and helped 
contribute to that no-nonsense approach to life he had which enriched 
the Senate.
  Craig Thomas was also interested in working across party lines. 
Earlier this year, Senator Lieberman and I and others began a breakfast 
on Tuesday morning at 8 o'clock for those Senators who had time to 
come, not for the purpose of passing legislation but for the purpose of 
getting to know each other better across party lines so that we could 
perhaps come to solutions more quickly in other areas. It was 
interesting to see who came to that breakfast. We all are busy. We all 
have tremendous demands on our time. We started off with 40 Senators of 
both parties. Sometimes it got to be 10 or 12 or 14. But almost every 
Tuesday morning at the bipartisan Senators' breakfast, Craig Thomas was 
there, and he always had a contribution to make. He was there 2 weeks 
ago, in the week before our recess, which is why it was such a surprise 
to learn that he died yesterday, because when he was there, he sat 
quietly, but you could tell he had something to say, and he finally 
said it before he left. The subject was immigration. He had some 
questions, and he had some comments. He looked the perfect picture of 
health. He looked as if he would last forever. That was the last I saw 
of Craig Thomas.
  We are a family here in the Senate. We say that often to one another, 
but it is true. We have breakfast together, as we did this morning at 
the bipartisan breakfast or as we will tomorrow morning at the Prayer 
Breakfast where we will remember Craig Thomas. We have lunch together, 
which we are about to do, Republicans on one side and Democrats on the 
other. We have committee hearings and meetings all day long and little 
visits, and then in the evenings, if that weren't enough, why, we get 
together and we go to receptions for each other. That is how we live 
our lives here. So it is a surprise to us to suddenly find ourselves 
without Craig Thomas, whom we saw at breakfast, whom we saw at lunch, 
whom we saw at committee meetings, and whom we saw in the evenings. We 
will miss him, but we greatly respect his presence here in the Senate 
for such a long period of time.
  When he got sick last year, we heard that he was soon doing fingertip 
pushups again. So all of us thought--at least I thought--well, Craig is 
going to be fine. He is going to be fine. But, as will be the case with 
each of us, in the end, his life has come to a conclusion. It has been 
a life of public service, one I greatly respect.
  To Susan and to his family, Honey and I offer our sympathy and our 
respect for his life. We will be thinking and praying for them, and we 
will be remembering how much joy our friend Craig Thomas brought to the 
U.S. Senate.
  Thank you, Madam President.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Mexico is 
recognized.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, I appreciate the opportunity to say a 
few words about Craig Thomas. He was a friend of mine and of all of us 
in the Senate. His death is a shock to this institution and to all of 
us. I heard the news this morning on the radio, as many of us did, I 
believe, and I was genuinely shocked to hear that he had died. My last 
encounter with him was the week before we had our recess where I had 
the chance to be with him in the Energy Committee, and he was there and 
very much participating in that committee hearing. He had a great deal 
to say, as he usually did, and an interest in what was going on.
  I think the first thing that comes to my mind about Craig is that he 
was an example of courage in the face of adversity. I have seen several 
interviews recently where I was very admiring of Elizabeth Edwards and 
the tremendous example she is presenting for the entire country about 
carrying on in the face of adversity after having been diagnosed, as 
she has been. I think the American people appreciate that, and 
understandably. I appreciate it, and I am sure everyone who is aware of 
her circumstance appreciates it greatly.
  The same can be said about Craig Thomas. Craig was diagnosed with 
leukemia shortly before his reelection this last fall, and I think 
everybody had to know that this was not a minor illness that was easily 
overcome. Craig took it in stride. He was here working in the Senate. 
He went through the chemotherapy and he was back, regaining his 
strength, and all of us admired that. All of us admired the way he 
faced that adversity, and he did all that he could, all that was 
humanly possible, to overcome that adversity.
  I had the good fortune to serve with Craig on two committees, 
including the Energy Committee, where he was chair of the National Park 
Subcommittee. He took a great interest in issues affecting not only 
national parks but our public lands generally and, of course, our 
energy issues as well. I also had the good fortune to serve with him on 
the Finance Committee. The chairman of the Finance Committee this year 
appointed a new Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resource Tax Issues. 
I was fortunate to be named chair of that, and Craig was named as the 
ranking member. So he and I spent a lot of time together, both in the 
Energy Committee and in the Finance Committee, sitting in hearings and 
talking about the agenda of the committees and generally interacting.
  I had the other great good fortune of taking a trip last year that 
Senator Warner and Senator Levin sponsored--a trip to Iraq and 
Afghanistan, in April of 2006, with Craig Thomas. Craig and I were both 
invited to be on that trip. So I spent time with him and interacted 
with him in Afghanistan and in Turkey, where we made a short stop, and 
also in London, where we met with some British defense officials.
  Three things came through to me that I think are my recollection of 
Craig Thomas: First, his decency as a human being. When you are with a 
person for a substantial period of time, you get a sense of their 
decency as a human being. I have spent a lot of time with Craig Thomas 
in this Senate and on that trip to which I just alluded. I can vouch 
for his basic decency. He was always considerate, always civil, always 
concerned about the feelings of others and the reaction of others.
  The second characteristic I would allude to is his ability to ask 
tough questions. Craig liked to think of himself as a conservative. I 
would characterize

[[Page 14489]]

him, as much as anything, as sort of a skeptic. Whenever the experts 
were telling us what the solution to a problem was, or what their 
analysis of a problem was, he was one who would stand back and say: 
Wait a minute, let's question some of that expert advice and expert 
analysis that you are giving us. That is very much needed by people in 
public office. You need people who will ask the tough questions, and 
Craig Thomas asked the tough questions.
  Third is the characteristic that others have spoken of here--that he 
was a straight shooter; he was straightforward in his view of the 
issues. You didn't have to guess what Craig thought about an issue. He 
would tell you, and it was a heartfelt view that he was expressing. So 
this is a very great loss to this Senate, to the people of Wyoming, and 
to the country. I consider him to have been a superb public servant. 
The people of Wyoming were extremely well served by him, the country 
was well served by him, and this Senate was well served by having him 
as one of our distinguished members.
  I extend my condolences to Susan and the family and, of course, to 
all of the people who are friends of his in his home State. He will be 
fondly remembered in this Senate.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise this morning with a very heavy 
heart, like all the rest of my colleagues, about the loss of our dear 
friend Craig Thomas. Craig was such an inspiration in such a quiet way 
to all of us, a guy from the true Wild West, the great State of 
Wyoming. He had such an easy manner about him that is so indicative of 
a lot of people who come from that part of the country. It was indeed a 
privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to serve with him.
  I had a number of interests in common with Craig. First of all, we 
served on the Agriculture Committee together. In the past 2 years, as 
chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Craig was one of those guys I 
called on from time to time to seek his advice and counsel because in 
the area of Wyoming and in the western part of the country, they grow 
different kinds of crops than what we grow in the Southeast. Craig was 
always willing to give his time to talk to me about the thoughts of 
farmers and ranchers in his part of the country and what we needed to 
do from a policy perspective on the Agriculture Committee relative to 
his farmers and ranchers that would also be beneficial to my farmers 
and ranchers. I cannot overemphasize the value of that kind of 
relationship with a Member of this body.
  I grew up in my law practice and in the rural electrification 
business. Craig was a strong advocate of rural electrification and the 
REA program and had been involved with it in Wyoming for decades. We 
had the opportunity to talk about this issue and long-term policy 
relative to providing electricity and other assets to people in rural 
America, and whether it was rural Wyoming or rural Georgia made no 
difference. Craig was an advocate of making sure that people in rural 
America all across our great country had the opportunities that folks 
in the urban parts of America have. I had a special opportunity to work 
with Craig.
  Earlier, I heard folks talk about Craig's love for the country and 
his love for the land. We were both outdoorsmen. He used to ride a 
horse a lot, and I like to shoot a shotgun at quail, pheasant, and a 
few other things that I have been blessed to be able to do over the 
years. We talked about our enjoyment of the outdoors on any number of 
different occasions.
  Craig was the chairman of a major committee during the last Congress. 
He was in charge of an issue that has been very near and dear to my 
State, an issue of designating property with a heritage designation in 
Georgia. I worked on this for about 6 years. We got right up to the 
brink last year, and all of a sudden we ran into a roadblock. Craig, as 
chairman, said, ``Saxby, here is the problem.'' Then he went through it 
and explained the very complex side of the issue that I had never 
thought of before.
  What it made me realize about Craig was that he was a lover of the 
land of America, irrespective of whether it was in Wyoming, Georgia, or 
the State of New York. He wanted to make sure future generations had 
the same opportunity to enjoy lands as our generation and previous 
generations have had the opportunity to do. Once he explained his 
position to me, we again worked through the issue. It took us a little 
longer than I wanted it to, but I had to be patient because Craig was 
very thoughtful. I knew his thinking was the right way of thinking on 
any issue like this, particularly with the designation of heritage 
areas, because there are other connotations to it than just saying we 
are going to leave this land for future generations.
  Craig was such a great ally in this process. At the end of the day, I 
remember when he gave his consent through a unanimous consent 
resolution. He and I sat right here near one another. He used to sit 
right there, and he moved behind me here. We sat across the aisle, and 
we had a long conversation that night about this particular piece of 
property for which he had now come to have a great appreciation. It is 
something that Georgians and America are going to enjoy for generations 
to come, and it simply would not have happened without Craig Thomas.
  Lastly, the desk that is right behind my desk is one of the more 
notable desks on this side of the aisle in this great institution 
because it is our candy drawer. His desk is our candy drawer. Of 
course, Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania had that desk in the two 
previous Congresses, and he kept it full of candy. Craig could not wait 
to get that desk when Rick left the Senate. Now, when a lot of us walk 
into the Senate door, the first thing we do is open that desk drawer to 
see what kind of candy Craig has put in there for us. He has never 
failed us. It was always a delight of his to be able to make folks 
happy, and this was a simple and easy way to encourage and get a smile 
on the faces of Senators as we walked in the door.
  Craig's wife Susan is such a great lady. I don't know his sons, but 
Susan is such a wonderful person. Again, as this body is such a small 
body, we all become friends regardless of our political differences. At 
the end of the day, we are a family, and we truly do have Susan and all 
of her other family in our thoughts and prayers as they go through what 
we know is a very difficult time.
  Craig and I also had in common the fact that we were both cancer 
survivors. I went through a process about 3 years ago, and Craig was 
one of the first ones to come to me and give me his thoughts and 
encouragement, which I really respected and greatly appreciated. That 
is the kind of family thought process that we go through here.
  So as we reach this day when Craig has lost that last battle--and, 
boy, did he ever fight good ones through the years. He fought this one 
very well, too. But as we think about him today, knowing his love of 
the outdoors in our conversations about his riding horses--even riding 
horses with the Capitol Police on the grounds of the Capitol--I am 
always going to have those very fond memories of Craig Thomas as a 
great friend, a great Member of this institution, and a truly great 
American. We know he is riding off into the sunset for a better life 
even as we speak today.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana is recognized.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I had the great privilege of presiding 
this morning. I got to listen to my colleagues come to the floor to pay 
tribute to our friend, an outstanding Senator and a wonderful man, 
Craig Thomas from Wyoming.

[[Page 14490]]

  So many things were said this morning, but I wanted to add a few 
more. First of all, as I sat in the chair to listen to the tributes, I 
want to give a compliment to the Senator from Wyoming, who spoke on 
behalf of his colleague. I have heard many tributes in the 10 years I 
have been in the Senate but, to me, it was one of the most beautiful 
tributes that a partner and colleague has made for another. Senator 
Enzi will continue to carry on the great traditions of the State, and I 
am sure he, as we all have, will be inspired by his friend that we 
lost. It was evident in his heartfelt and beautifully executed remarks 
this morning.
  I wanted to rise as a Member who served with Senator Thomas on the 
Energy Committee, someone who worked fairly closely with him, although 
we are not of the same political party, to reiterate just a few things 
about his character.
  This life we choose to live in public life is not the easiest life to 
live, and sometimes it is harder on our families than it is on us 
individually. It is a life that we choose because we want to serve our 
constituents. We believe we can do that job.
  I heard so many of our colleagues rise to pay tribute to the Senator 
but mention Susan, his wife, that I wanted to restate for the record 
how inspirational their relationship has been to me and to many of us. 
Not only did Susan wait for him, many times outside of this door, to 
greet him always with a smile or encouragement, they often were able to 
travel together as a couple, to share both the joys and the burdens of 
this life. I think it is a tribute to both of them and particularly to 
Craig Thomas, who shared his life in such a special way with his 
spouse, which stands as an inspiration to us all, and Susan to him.
  I also wanted to say what a strong and steady voice, an unflinching 
champion for Wyoming he was, in fact, even in the twilight of his life, 
within the last few weeks, as was mentioned by some of us who were with 
him at the Prayer Breakfast, some of us who were with him at the 
bipartisan conference, and some of us who were with him in one of his 
last Energy Committee meetings. I recall the memory of his voice, 
although weak in body, strong in spirit, fighting for Wyoming, talking 
about coal, talking about a new energy policy, talking about how the 
country depended so much on the resources of Wyoming and how he was 
determined to continue to fight and provide that point of view on our 
committee. So on the Energy Committee we will miss him, always there, 
always on time, always steady, always strong, and never forgetting the 
State he came to represent and did so, so completely and so 
consistently.
  Finally, some of us have mentioned the inspiration he has been to us 
in terms of his quiet and gentle spirit, knowing that he was facing a 
very difficult time, with his time perhaps not that long to be here. As 
many of our colleagues have said, however, he never complained. He 
always said how well he was feeling and how much better and how 
thankful he was for his doctors, for his family's support, and he was 
always thanking us for being there when we could.
  I wish to mention the strength of his spirit in having come to terms 
and making peace in his life, that God was his friend. He had a great 
faith in God Almighty. It was evident by the way he walked, not 
agitated and not nervous, not anxious and not afraid, but basically the 
quiet confidence of a person who was at peace with God and with 
whatever God would have in store for him. I think those of us in the 
Senate family, for all we remember of him--as a cowboy, as a marine, as 
a Senator--we will always remember the last few weeks of that quiet 
confidence of a man who knew why he was born and where he was going. 
That was our good friend Craig Thomas.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to join my 
colleagues in tribute to the memory of a wonderful friend, Senator 
Craig Thomas from Wyoming. For me, Craig Thomas was not only a member 
of the Senate family, he was a neighbor to the north. Because of the 
similarities between Wyoming and Colorado in terms of the rural nature 
of our States, Senator Thomas and I had the opportunity to work on many 
matters during the time we both served in the Senate. I wish to comment 
on two or three of those issues which were very important to us as we 
worked on them together.
  I always saw Senator Craig Thomas as someone who was truly a fighter 
for the land, water, and people of this Nation, and the people of the 
State of Wyoming. I remember very clearly the debate we had in the 
Senate Energy Committee and the National Parks Subcommittee, which he 
chaired, about whether we were going to abandon the hundred-year 
principle that had guided the conservation philosophy of our national 
parks. It was Senator Craig Thomas who, at the point of the spear, made 
sure that the conservation doctrine of our national parks' policy 
remained intact.
  I also remember the leadership role Senator Thomas took in the last 
several years when there were efforts to try to sell off our public 
lands in order to make that part of the deficit reduction for our 
Nation. While he was a true fiscal conservative, he also understood the 
importance of the legacy of our public lands, protecting our public 
lands, and making sure those public lands were not used simply for 
deficit reduction. It was through his leadership that we were able to 
turn back the efforts of those who wanted to sell off the public lands 
of our Nation.
  I wish to also comment with respect to Senator Thomas's efforts for 
rural America.
  There are some significant differences between the Senate family and 
the House family. I think the House of Representatives, because of the 
makeup of that body--many of them come only from metropolitan and urban 
areas. Here in our Chamber, many of our Senators represent States that 
are very rural in nature, and there are very few States that are as 
rural as that great State of Wyoming. So it was natural for Senator 
Thomas to be a champion for rural America, and it was my honor to join 
with him in working on a number of other things where we stood together 
and said that the America that had been forgotten by so many, rural 
America, was never going to be forgotten on the floor of the Senate. It 
was in that vein that Senator Thomas took a leadership role, along with 
our good friend, Senator Larry Craig from Idaho, to make sure we were 
doing right with payment in lieu of taxes so that those rural 
communities in the West, which are so dependent upon payment in lieu of 
taxes because so much of our land is owned by the Federal Government, 
that we would be providing them with the kind of compensation needed to 
keep them afloat.
  It was also in that regard that I had the honor of joining Senator 
Thomas last year and Senator Craig in moving forward with the creation 
of the Office of Rural Veterans Affairs. That is because Senator Thomas 
understood that there was a great disparity in how veterans were being 
treated in the urban-suburban areas of our society and those in rural 
communities. The fact is that the VA had done a study that demonstrated 
the great disparity in health care services that were forthcoming from 
the VA to those veterans who lived in the urban communities as opposed 
to those who lived in rural communities. So it was his effort and his 
leadership that helped us lead to the creation of the Office of Rural 
Veterans Affairs.
  Finally, his work on the Agriculture Committee. When I think about 
Wyoming, a State that I often travel, a State where I have often 
worked, I think about its natural resources and I think about its 
people, but I also think about its agricultural base. Certainly, 
Senator Craig Thomas will always be remembered for his great advocacy 
for agriculture and making sure we have sustainable agriculture here in 
our Nation.
  I would like to thank Senator Thomas for the contributions he made to 
my State, even though I am a very new

[[Page 14491]]

Senator here in this body. We worked on a number of different issues. 
It was through his leadership that we were able to hold hearings and 
move forward on legislation that created the Sangre De Cristo National 
Heritage Area, the Clark County National Heritage Act legislation, the 
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act, and the Betty Dick 
Resident Protection Act, and I could go on and on listing a whole host 
of other matters that were moved forward because of the advocacy of 
Senator Thomas.
  Lastly, I would say this: We get to know each other in a number of 
different ways here on the floor of the Senate and while working 
together. I fondly remember traveling with Senator Reid and with 
Senator Thomas to Iraq and spending 8 or 9 days with him in that 
troubled part of the world. I remember the conversations about his 
yearning for a more peaceful and stronger world, where we would create 
a legacy for our children that was a legacy of peace for the world.
  I was honored to often go to the Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday 
mornings and listen to the speakers. I knew Craig Thomas was a man of 
faith and that he was doing the duty of the people of this country and 
the duty of the people of Wyoming.
  So from his neighbor to the south, I conclude by simply saying that I 
am proud of that cowboy. I am proud of Craig Thomas, and I am proud of 
the contributions he made not only to the State of Wyoming but the 
contributions he made to this Nation.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. McCaskill). The Senator from Wyoming.
  I am sorry, the Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, today I take that comment with respect 
and honor because I am here, like many of my colleagues, to join in 
speaking about the loss of Senator Craig Thomas, a friend from the 
neighboring State of Wyoming.
  Over the course of years in working with Craig on the floor of the 
House and here in the Senate, I must tell you that notice of his death 
late yesterday evening was a real loss to me and my wife Suzanne. And I 
say to his wife Susan and their four children that we stand in quiet 
prayer for strength for you through this difficult time in the loss of 
a truly marvelous American.
  The Senator from Colorado just mentioned the word ``cowboy,'' and I 
oftentimes, when at a gathering with Craig, if the opportunity arose 
where we were both speakers and I was to introduce him--and that 
happened on several occasions--I would say: And now, ladies and 
gentlemen, let me introduce the cowboy from Wyoming. And he would stand 
with a big smile on his face because he viewed that as a statement of 
respect. I think we westerners, who work closely together on issues 
that are uniquely western, appreciate and understand that expression.
  Craig came to the House in 1989, just as I was leaving the House, so 
I got to know him then. And, of course, when he came to the Senate and 
came to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where we both grew 
in seniority, we began to work very closely together on so many issues 
that were important to the West but also issues that were important to 
the Nation.
  CQ, Congressional Quarterly, in its Political Profiles of American 
Politicians, said this about Craig, and I think it is so typical of the 
man. They said:

       While Thomas pursues his State's interests, he does it in a 
     quiet, methodical way that has made him remarkably few 
     enemies after nearly two decades in Congress. Known for his 
     courtesy and diplomacy, even on bitterly contested issues, he 
     is no pushover.

  That is the Craig Thomas whom we all got to know. He could be tough 
in his position. He knew exactly where he was on almost all issues, and 
he very seldom gave ground. But he would give ground when he knew it 
would bring the issue to resolution. Now, I say that is the art of a 
talented policymaker, and Craig Thomas, representing his State of 
Wyoming and the Nation, was truly that.
  He filled big shoes. When he came to the House, he filled the shoes 
of the departing Dick Cheney, and, of course, when he came over here, 
he filled the shoes of Malcolm Wallop, who was well known here as a 
very clear conservative and often very partisan Member of the Senate. 
But in filling those shoes--and more importantly, he brought his own 
boots--he made his own mark for his State and for the Nation. So 
whether it was park issues, whether it was natural resource issues, 
whether it was differences between that boundary line that sometimes is 
fairly indistinguishable out West between Idaho and Wyoming, Craig 
Thomas served the citizens of his State extremely well.
  Oftentimes known as an open, multiple-use advocate, as both he and I 
are on the utilization of our public lands and their management, when 
it came to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park, 
they were something special in Craig's mind. Oftentimes I would say: 
Craig, you are siding with the environmentalists on that issue.
  He would laugh or smile and say: Larry, nothing is too good in 
protecting Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton. They are the 
crown jewels in the Nation and they are a major part of my State.
  While we were very seldom in disagreement, there were times when 
there was a bump-up now and then, as is typical amongst all of us who 
serve in the Senate, even though on most issues we found great 
compatibility.
  I am one amongst all who will miss Craig Thomas. He was a friend of 
longstanding, a colleague. His wife Susan and my wife Suzanne had 
become good friends over the years, as so many of us do while working 
in the Senate. His life is taken from us and from the citizens of his 
State and from his family at a time when Craig Thomas was serving his 
State and his Nation well.
  Again, to his wife and children, we are going to miss Craig a great 
deal in the Senate. I, personally, as a friend, will miss Craig Thomas.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I, too, rise today to pay tribute to our 
fallen friend, the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Craig 
Thomas. My wife Tricia and I were greatly saddened this morning when we 
rose and found out that Craig had lost his battle with this form of 
leukemia. The four of us have been together many times, socially and in 
business settings. We have had some great experiences together in other 
parts of the world. We were so sad to learn he had passed away. It was 
heightened by the fact that he seemed to have done so well after his 
first round of treatment. It was a great pleasure to come on the floor 
over the last couple months and see him looking better every day. He 
seemed to feel good. So I was personally excited that he was going to 
whip this thing. That was his attitude, as a true marine. He was 
fighting a battle to win.
  He brought to the Senate a special down-to-Earth Wyoming wisdom, 
reflective of the unique part of the country he represented so well. 
Cody, WY, where he was born, is a special place. Craig was the epitome 
of the people in that part of our great country. In a legislative body 
of sometimes showboats, lightning rods and mavericks, Craig was an 
engine of the Senate. He was not flamboyant. He didn't try to be. He 
kept plodding along, trying to find a way to get the right results and 
help the Senate do its job.
  I have learned over the years there are some people in life, and some 
Members of the Senate, who are tried and true, who can be depended on 
no matter what the issue is. Craig Thomas was one of those. He kept the 
Senate on point when we strayed from the big picture--with his 
goodness, his common sense, and his affable manner. It is very easy to 
get fired up and lash out at an institution where we all come from so 
many different backgrounds and are so passionate sometimes about 
issues. But Craig kept it cool, kept a level head, and kept moving 
forward. When we drifted off message, when we were too much into the 
weeds with our competing agendas, he didn't complain or rail or make 
demands to fix it, he rounded up several of his colleagues, came to the 
floor, and before long he

[[Page 14492]]

had a way of helping us get back on track.
  His resilience and self-reliance were emblematic of the open range 
country in which he was born. He was Wyoming to me, in all its rugged 
zest for community, Nation, and faith.
  I was particularly interested in hearing our colleague, Senator Larry 
Craig, from Idaho, talk about his love of the outdoors, of Yellowstone, 
and his effort to preserve and improve that great national park. It was 
one of the things he truly did love. He didn't talk about himself very 
much, but he spoke eloquently about the quality-of-life issues of his 
mostly rural West neighbors. He was, after all, a farmer. That is what 
he got his degree in, in college--agriculture.
  Of course, he served his country for 4 years in the Marines. That was 
kind of how he approached his job in the Senate. He came to get things 
done, to get results for Wyoming, and the Nation. He was on the right 
committees to do that. He was on the Energy Committee, and I tangled 
with him, one time in particular I remember, on the Energy Committee. I 
came away knowing that, when you get in a tussle with Craig Thomas, you 
better bring your lunch because it will not be quick. It will take a 
long time to work it out. But work it out we did.
  He also served on the Finance Committee, where I had the pleasure of 
serving with him. He provided, again, good, solid, calm counsel and 
participation. It was that self-reliance, that selflessness that 
diverted our attention from the tragedy his family was facing over 
recent months. But that is how he wanted it. He was riding the Senate 
range, keeping us on the trail, and helping us to stay with the big 
picture, to improve the quality of life of all those we represent.
  Tricia and I extend our love, our thoughts, and our prayers to Susan, 
their children, and Craig's loyal staff. We have lost a solid 
statesman, and we will dedicate ourselves to keeping his spirit of 
goodness alive in the Senate for all of those to come.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, this is a sad time for the Senate. As we 
continue with the important business of the Nation, we pause for a few 
moments to think about our common loss of one of our kindest, most 
dedicated, and most thoughtful colleagues, Senator Craig Thomas of 
Wyoming. All of us have our own private memories of our relationship 
with Craig. Mine is of him as a kind of silent leader, kind of an 
atypical character, if you will, in the Senate.
  When I got here 4\1/2\ years ago, someone alleged--and this is a 
broad characterization--someone said: Welcome to the Senate, a place 
that has 100 large egos and 200 sharp elbows.
  I think what that person forgot to do was account for somebody such 
as Craig Thomas, who was never jockeying for the headlines and 
spotlight but always focused on his work and quietly, every day, made a 
difference.
  I learned firsthand in recent months, as I began working with a 
number of Senators on this side of the aisle, trying to encourage their 
active participation in the floor debates, Craig understood it is open 
debate and discussion in this, the world's greatest deliberative body, 
that protects and extends democracy. Indeed, every week as we met, 
Senator Thomas would simply ask: What can I do, John? It is that 
fundamental desire to serve the public, the most basic and fundamental 
question of all that best characterized Senator Craig Thomas: What can 
I do?
  He was a defender of American values. From his service in the Marine 
Corps to his time in the House and the Senate, he served with courage 
and integrity. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the way he served 
and handled his final illness. You never would have known that he had 
been through chemotherapy or that he was not feeling well. The only way 
you would know is because his hair had fallen out as a result of the 
chemotherapy. It was almost back in its original form. But you never 
would know from his attitude, which was always upbeat, always positive, 
never looking for sympathy but simply, day in and day out, doing his 
dead level best to represent the people of Wyoming in the Senate.
  He was known as one of the people's most staunch advocates, leading 
the charge against Government waste and always fighting higher taxes.
  In many ways, Senator Thomas was an example to all of us. In an 
environment that can sometimes turn too nasty, his friendly demeanor 
and his dedication to his country was always a reminder that public 
service is more than a duty, it is a privilege. It can be conducted in 
a way that does not turn political adversaries into personal enemies. 
It can be done without bitterness, without anger, and with dignity.
  I know Craig was honored to be able to represent the State of Wyoming 
and that the State of Wyoming was privileged to be served by such a 
man. Wyoming and the Nation now mourn the loss of this great Senator, 
this great patriot, this fine husband and father, and this good man. He 
left an indelible mark on the Halls of the Senate and America in 
general. He will be missed.
  For Susan and all the Thomas family, Sandy and I say to you, you are 
in our thoughts and prayers, as I know you are in the thoughts and 
prayers of countless millions of people all across this great land. In 
these trying times, we are all comforted by the strong faith in God 
that Craig exemplified, as well as the enduring legacy he left and his 
positive impact upon the Nation.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. DORGAN. Madam President, I listened to my colleague from Texas. I 
come to the floor to add a word about my friend whom we have lost, 
Senator Craig Thomas. Craig was from the State of Wyoming. He was from 
the northern Great Plains. Last evening, when I heard he had died, I 
spent a lot of time thinking about Craig and about this place.
  Most Americans see the partisanship. This is actually a political 
body, so it is not unusual there would be some partisanship. What most 
Americans never have the opportunity to see is the friendship. This is 
a small community of 100 Members of the Senate, men and women who come 
from every part of our country who are elected to serve. There is a 
great deal of friendship that exists in this Chamber, even in the 
middle of all of the politics that exists in our political system.
  Senator Craig Thomas was an interesting and a wonderful man. I have 
had, especially the last 6 months, an opportunity to work very closely 
with him. I knew him as a Member of the House of Representatives. I 
knew him as a Member of the Senate and a colleague in both the House 
and the Senate. But the last 6 months we worked together, I as chairman 
of the Indian Affairs Committee and Craig Thomas as vice chairman of 
the Indian Affairs Committee. We sat next to each other, hour after 
hour, hearing after hearing, and I got to know a lot about Craig Thomas 
that I had not previously known.
  His word was his bond. He was quick with a smile. A quiet man in many 
ways, he cared deeply about his home State of Wyoming and cared deeply 
about the future of his country.
  Craig was a proud son of the American West who never, ever forgot 
about the people he represented. His commitment to American Indians, 
and especially and particularly to those living on the Wind River 
Reservation in Wyoming, was evident as I worked side by side with him 
on the Indian Affairs Committee, as was his strong support for Indian 
health care and for all of the other services to Native Americans.
  I was pleased to have the opportunity to work with him and to get to 
know him and to admire his work. In recent months, of course, Senator 
Thomas faced some very challenging health care issues with a very 
challenging illness. He met those challenges with courage and with 
grace. He never complained. I never heard him complain. In

[[Page 14493]]

fact, it was just about 3 weeks ago at a hearing that I turned to him 
and said: You look great. You really look terrific. He said: I feel 
good. I feel great.
  He was a person with that kind of attitude. What a wonderful 
contribution to the Senate. I think all of us here will miss a terrific 
friend.
  Let me end as I started by saying this is a political body. I know 
most Americans see the evidence of that politics, so they see sometimes 
the politics and the partisanship. What most Americans never have the 
opportunity to see is the friendship that exists on the floor of the 
Senate. Yes, even between those who from time to time are adversaries 
in debate but who understand each other and are friends with each 
other.
  I had the privilege of working with Senator Thomas for many years in 
the House and in the Senate, and particularly in the last 6 months as 
chairman and vice chairman of the committee. I will miss him dearly. I 
considered Senator Craig Thomas a friend. My thoughts and prayers today 
are with his wonderful family as well.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I join my colleagues in paying tribute 
to our friend and colleague, Senator Craig Thomas. I always said if I 
got into a tough situation--using the allegory, a gunfight on Front 
Street in my hometown of Dodge City, KS--I would want Craig Thomas by 
my side. I also knew that he would be there.
  In that regard, it was only 2 weeks ago that he and Susan, his wife, 
corralled a group of supporters for me and we talked about his personal 
battle. He was confident. As Senator Dorgan has indicated, he looked 
good. And we joked with him of no longer being a member of the 
folliclely challenged caucus.
  His turn for the worse and sudden passing comes as a great shock to 
all of us. We served together in the House where, as in this body, he 
was always a voice of reason, a man of trust, decency, and commitment. 
Just this morning he was described by a fellow colleague as a ``lovely 
man,'' a description that does not quite jibe with Craig, a rough-hewn 
rancher with a gentle, quiet Wyoming demeanor, but it is a term that is 
true to the man.
  I do not know of anyone who did not like or respect Craig Thomas. In 
this day of rough and tumble public service and the Congress 
overflowing, it seems, in a cauldron of partisan discontent, Craig 
transcended all of that.
  In the end, the only thing any of us who have the privilege of public 
trust has going for us is our word. Craig Thomas set the gold standard 
in keeping his word and our trust and our admiration.
  The Senate, Wyoming, and our Nation have lost a steady hand and a man 
who did much for his special State. He was dependable in the finest 
sense of the word. He never sought the center ring or the spotlight; 
that was not his style. He was the epitome of a workhorse, not a show 
horse.
  I remember and I treasure our times together, especially when I first 
came to the Senate. We both agreed the length of a conversation does 
not tell anything about the size of the intellect. We also agreed that 
no matter who says what, you should not believe it if it does not make 
sense. Craig made sense. He did not need decorated words to make his 
meaning clear. He spoke Wyoming, and Kansas for that matter.
  Craig would take the floor during morning business, and in his calm, 
reasonable manner then discuss an issue of the day. And you sort of had 
to sit on the edge of your seat and lean forward, and as they say in 
his beloved Marine Corps, listen up. He talked softly, he talked low, 
he talked slowly, and he said a whole lot without saying too much.
  To some of us in this body he was, and is, a fellow marine. In this 
case, Semper Fidelis, always faithful, is most appropriate. As I said, 
if anyone faced trouble in their life, the one person you would want by 
your side would be Craig Thomas. I shall miss him greatly as a personal 
friend, confidant, and supporter.
  Both of the offices I have occupied in the Senate were previously 
occupied by Craig. I just thought if they were good enough for Craig, I 
would fit right in. There is a short book by Bix Bender called, ``A 
Cowboy's Guide to Life.'' In it, he describes the code of the West and 
urges men of this common background to write it in hearts, to stand by 
the code, and that it would stand by you. Ask no more and give no less 
than honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, and fairness.
  Madam President, Craig Thomas embodied that code. Now, while our 
minds are full of sorrow and our hearts certainly heavy with his loss, 
Craig would not want that. In this regard, the words of Helen Steiner 
Rice come to mind as our thoughts and prayers are with his supporter, 
friend, and his wife Susan; his sons, Patrick and Greg; and his 
daughter Lexie.

     When I must leave you
     for a little while,
     Please go on bravely
     with a gallant smile
     And for my sake and in my name,
     Live on and do all things the same.
     Spend not your life in empty days,
     But fill each waking hour
     in useful ways.
     Reach out your hand
     in comfort and in cheer,
     And I in turn will comfort you
     and hold you near.

  Bless Craig Thomas.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, we did not think, coming back to the 
Chamber a week after we had all gone our separate ways back to our 
States, that we would come back with one of our Members not here. There 
is a drape over Craig Thomas's chair and a beautiful flower 
arrangement.
  But all of us who go through the day-to-day workings of the Senate, 
working with our constituents at home, the pressures which we all know 
we feel being 24/7 in a job that we love, but we all know the stresses 
and strains and therefore we bond because of the similarity of 
experience. So when we all said goodbye at the end of last week, we did 
not expect to come back and have one fewer Member. So I want to rise 
today to express my sadness for the passing of Senator Craig Thomas and 
to express my deepest sympathy for his wife Susan, their family, and 
the people of Wyoming.
  Senator Thomas served in Congress for 18 years, 6 years in the House 
and 12 years in the Senate. He had just been reelected to his third 
term. But his service to the United States did not begin when he came 
to the nation's capital. It began in the Marine Corps, where he served 
from 1955 to 1959. Then he went back to Wyoming to work at the Wyoming 
Farm Bureau and then the Rural Electric Association. Later, he began a 
career in public service, winning an election to the Wyoming House of 
Representatives. Five years later he won a special election to succeed 
then-Congressman Dick Cheney as a Member of the U.S. House, and 5 years 
after that in 1994, then-Congressman Thomas won election to the Senate.
  Craig Thomas used his real-life, rural background to champion a 
positive agenda for America's rural community. As a former chairman of 
the National Parks Subcommittee, Craig Thomas authored legislation to 
provide funding and management reforms to protect America's national 
parks in the 21st century.
  He was honored by the National Parks and Conservation Association 
with their William Penn Mott, Jr. Park Leadership Award. As a senior 
member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Thomas was instrumental 
in vital issues such as Social Security, trade, and tax reform. He was 
co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.
  These are impressive accomplishments, but Senator Craig Thomas, the 
man, was just as impressive. Every time I called Craig to fill in for 
me when I was vice chairman of the Republican Conference, he was there. 
He was on the executive committee as the vice chairman of the 
conference. Craig was the one I turned to the most to chair a meeting 
if I could not be there. He would talk on the Senate floor about the 
specific issues that we were wanting to focus on at the time.

[[Page 14494]]

  He was so well liked by everyone in this Chamber. I cannot imagine 
anyone ever saying they did not like Craig Thomas. His wife Susan is a 
very special lady as well. She works with children who have 
disabilities. She has made that her life-long mission. She is so loved 
and respected in the teaching community for the great work that she has 
done.
  So when all of us learned about Craig Thomas's illness late last 
year, we all thought: Gosh, he is going to be a fighter. He is going to 
do so well. And he did. He did do well. He fought it with immediate 
chemotherapy. He came back with less hair than he started with in the 
month of November, but we knew, as we were watching him progress, that 
he was looking better and better and his color was getting better and 
better. Then when we all left last week, some knew he was going back 
for another round of chemo. Many of us did not know. But no one in our 
body realized how serious it was.
  Yesterday, God did call him home. At the moment that he was called, 
his wife Susan; his sons, Patrick and Greg; and his daughter, Lexie, 
were all there with him. So our prayers shift now from recovery to 
comfort, and we hope his family knows and the people of Wyoming know 
what a mark he made on this body. He will be remembered, and he 
certainly is where the angels are because of his good nature and his 
good deeds. We wish Susan and the family our condolences and our best 
wishes, and we hope all of us will be able to have the good memories 
when time begins to heal.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, I join my colleagues in expressing my 
heartfelt condolences to Susan, the entire Thomas family, and the 
people of Wyoming over the passing of our dear friend Senator Craig 
Thomas. We have lost one of the truly great statesmen from this body 
who always had a kind word and a smile for me in the hallway or here in 
the well or in this body and anyone else he came across during the day. 
He had a wonderful way of calming people down and making people feel at 
home. I personally felt a kinship with Senator Thomas. Our offices were 
not merely located in the same corner of the third floor of the Dirksen 
building, we were neighbors in every sense of the word. We also had the 
distinction of serving together on both the Senate Finance and Energy 
committees. Not a day would go by that we didn't share a ride in the 
elevator or cross pathways in the hall or stand and visit with our 
staffs together.
  We also both came from rural States with similar needs, and we worked 
together to address many of the same issues the citizens of Wyoming and 
Arkansas face. As one of the cochairs of the Senate rural health care 
caucus, Senator Thomas was a true leader and a fighter, consistently 
fighting to improve access to health care for rural communities, 
especially for seniors. We worked on several issues together to make 
sure our rural constituents had a voice on health care and many other 
important issues. Senator Thomas and I also were delighted to work 
together to improve tax fairness for the numerous disabled veterans who 
served our country with dignity and honor and call Arkansas and Wyoming 
their home.
  Senator Thomas was a tireless advocate for Wyoming and fought to 
ensure that the interests of his State were always protected throughout 
the legislative process. I can't tell you how many times I saw 
different constituent groups from Wyoming lined up in the hallway to 
visit with their very respected Senator. He was always accessible and 
always made time for folks who traveled so far to see him. But he also 
made time to visit with those who were there in the hallway, oftentimes 
my constituents or staff members. He was never in too big of a hurry 
that he couldn't stop and take the time to visit with someone, to share 
with them a kind word or listen to what was on their mind or in their 
busy schedule.
  He has a tremendous staff. They all reflect the Senator's good 
nature. Working with his staff so closely in the neighborhood of the 
third floor of Dirksen, they exemplify the courage and kindness of this 
incredible Senator they have served.
  He was a tremendous public servant, and he served our Nation 
courageously as a United States marine. He was a true gentleman and one 
of the kindest and most genuine people you would ever meet.
  I am truly saddened by the loss of my friend, and my thoughts and 
prayers are with his dear wife Susan and the entire Thomas family. This 
Senate body, the State of Wyoming, and the American people have been 
truly blessed by his life and his service.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. CONRAD. I ask unanimous consent to speak about the passing of our 
colleague.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CONRAD. Madam President, I was deeply saddened to learn last 
night that Senator Thomas had lost his courageous battle against 
leukemia. Over the years, Craig and his wife Susan have become very 
good friends to both me and my wife Lucy. I will greatly miss him in 
this Chamber and, more than that, as a friend.
  Senator Thomas and I cochaired the rural health caucus. We have 
worked closely, along with our staffs, on rural health care issues. You 
couldn't find a more decent and honorable person than Craig Thomas. He 
is from Wyoming; I am from North Dakota. We didn't always agree 
politically, but we always got along. I always felt I had a friend in 
Craig Thomas.
  On health care, he and I partnered over several years to produce 
comprehensive legislation to improve reimbursement levels for health 
care providers in rural areas. During the legislation that passed on 
comprehensive drug legislation, there were provisions included to, for 
the first time in many years, improve reimbursement for rural 
providers. It is not well known in the country or perhaps even in this 
Chamber that rural institutions often get one-half as much to provide 
the same treatment as more urban institutions. Senator Thomas and I 
focused on those issues in the Finance Committee. Much of the 
legislation that was included in the comprehensive drug legislation to 
for the first time address that unfairness in reimbursement was 
legislation Senator Thomas and I had offered.
  We spent hours and hours together agreeing on the elements of these 
legislative packages. Our staffs worked closely together. They became 
friends.
  This week we were planning to introduce together the latest version 
of our comprehensive rural health care legislation. This week will be a 
poignant one for me and my staff as we consider what might have been.
  In the Senate Finance Committee, Craig and I worked closely together 
on other issues that are important to our States. We had a shared 
interest in the impact of trade on U.S. agriculture, whether it was 
unfairly subsidized foreign sugar or the Japanese and Koreans unfairly 
blocking exports of American beef. We also shared a deep interest on 
energy policy because Wyoming is an energy State, as is North Dakota. 
We worked together to boost transmission capacity and to support clean 
coal technologies and to develop coal to liquid fuel technologies.
  I can tell you Craig Thomas was a determined and principled Member of 
this body. He had real convictions. They were never far from his heart. 
Craig Thomas was somebody who cared deeply about the people of Wyoming 
and the people of this country. He also was someone who could 
understand that others might have a different point of view. While 
Craig Thomas might not agree with you, he was willing to listen. He was 
always willing to debate, but to do it in a gentlemanly way. I knew 
many times when Craig and I were debating legislation we were going to 
introduce, there were simply places he wasn't going to go. He was not 
going to go against certain deeply

[[Page 14495]]

held principles. But he was willing to have a discussion about how we 
might accomplish the goal. That is something I admired deeply about 
Craig Thomas.
  He was a tenacious advocate for improving health care for the many 
rural communities in his State and across the country. He was a fierce 
fighter for the people of Wyoming. Nobody could ever doubt that. He 
brought that same strength and tenacity to his fight with leukemia. 
Although he must have been in pain in the last several weeks, he never 
let it show. In fact, one of the last conversations I had with him was 
right here in the corner of this Chamber. I asked him how he was doing. 
He was upbeat and positive. I sensed he was on the mend. So it was a 
real shock to me to find out last night that we lost him. He continued 
to the very end to pursue his goals with courage and strength and as a 
true gentleman. We will miss Craig Thomas as a friend and a colleague. 
We will miss that wry sense of humor. We will miss his ability to find 
amusement in the daily workings of this body.
  Most of all, we will miss his quiet smile and that twinkle in his 
eye, because all of us know that is the Craig Thomas who became our 
very good friend.
  Lucy and I express our deepest condolences to Susan and to his four 
children and to the larger Thomas family. We also take this moment to 
express our condolences to his very dedicated, loyal, and highly 
competent staff. Craig Thomas had around him people with the same 
qualities he demonstrated, people of quiet dignity and people of real 
competence who worked very hard for the people of Wyoming and this 
country.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I thank the distinguished Presiding 
Officer for allowing me to come over at this point in time. I shall 
take but a few minutes to address the Senate and the American public 
about the passing of a dearly beloved colleague with whom I and other 
Members of this great Senate have shared a friendship through the many 
years.
  Each of us is deeply saddened at the passing yesterday evening of 
this valued friend and colleague. I first came to know him in 1995, 
when he took the seat of Malcolm Wallop. I had known Malcolm Wallop 
very well, still know him quite well. He was a very strong-minded, 
able, tough U.S. Senator, tough in the sense that he was a man of 
resolute convictions.
  We wondered who would take his place. Craig Thomas took Senator 
Wallop's place, and I think even Senator Wallop, were he here today to 
address the Senate, would agree he has followed in the footsteps of 
many great Senators who have come from the great State of Wyoming.
  He also served as a Marine officer from 1955 to 1959. He entered as a 
private and was released as a captain. I say, with a sense of humility, 
I entered the Marine Corps as a private and parted, many years later, 
as a captain. Therefore, we had a special bond.
  But he was able, through the years, to carry on I think one of the 
great attributes of the Corps--taught to all of us--and where I failed, 
he succeeded. I used to have a nickname for him. I called him: Ramrod. 
He did not have to say ``I was a marine'' because you could tell by the 
way he walked, the way he carried himself, and the way he had his chin 
always projecting. That is the way we were taught in the Marines. It 
fell by the wayside with this humble Senator, but it never left the 
posture of that great marine and great Senator.
  As marines served over the past 5 years on the tip of the spear 
around the world, all of our marines, particularly in Iraq and 
Afghanistan of recent, it was helpful for the Senate to have Senator 
Thomas's perspective in looking out for our marines in a very special 
way.
  He was very active in the Marine Caucus, meeting for breakfast at 
0800 in the morning, getting together, talking about years past, years 
present, and years in the future. Each year, the Commandant of the 
Marine Corps would come over, and, quite understandably, the job fell 
to Senator Thomas, which he loved, to introduce the Commandant of the 
Marines.
  I refer then to our Marine Corps Hymn, which all of us sing. And I 
quote one stanza:

       Our flags unfurl'd to every breeze,
       From dawn to setting sun.

  The Sun has set on this great marine, and that is how I shall always 
remember him. Whatever the challenges facing us in the Senate, he was 
steadfast, unruffled, and committed to the task at hand, like the 
marine he was and always will be in our memories.
  It is interesting, another characteristic of marines--our good 
friend, Conrad Burns, being one, and to some extent myself--we tend to 
be rather gregarious, somewhat undisciplined and rough and ready. But 
Senator Thomas was a very quiet man, very introspective in his 
thinking, with a smile on his face. But he could project his persona 
without some of the other attributes we marines pride ourselves in.
  He chaired the Senate Rural Health Caucus. I am a member of that 
caucus, and I stop to think--I do not know how many are members of it--
it was an effective caucus. We got together particularly on issues of 
medical care and how, through the past decades, that care has shrunk in 
the rural areas because of the lack of young men and young women going 
in and practicing medicine and accepting the hardships and indeed the 
less pay the rural areas have. But he left his hallmark trying to 
encourage better medical care in those regions, which are in every 
State of our Union.
  We both loved fishing. How many times we talked about trout fishing. 
He always said to me: John, I have a very special stream, almost 
untouched, largely unknown, but I will take you there someday, and you 
will experience a trip you will never forget. I have missed that trip.
  His constituents, his loving family, and, above all, his wife Susan 
are in our thoughts and prayers. I ask colleagues to stop and think on 
those evenings when we got our evening engagements and we were, 
fortunately, going to be accompanied by our wives, that Susan would 
stand watch at the door of the Senate. I can see that spot. As you 
approach the Chamber, it is on the left, right there next to the 
column. I would always see her and wave a ``hello.''
  So I say to her and her family, thank you for sharing in our lives 
the richness of the life of your Craig Thomas.
  From one marine to another, I simply say: Fair Winds and Following 
Seas to you, sir. Semper Fi.
  Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I am deeply saddened at the passing of my 
dear friend, Wyoming's senior Member, Senator Craig Thomas. We have 
lost a truly dear and courageous Member of this body, whose absence 
will be felt. I had the pleasure of serving with Senator Thomas for 
many years, both in the U.S. House of Representatives and here in the 
Senate since his election in 1994. I found him to be a true statesman, 
of great character, with a passion for serving others.
  He grew up on a ranch in Cody, WY, and never forgot his roots, as he 
continuously advocated for rural communities and our natural resources. 
He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in 
agriculture, and served our country proudly for 4 years in the Marines.
  During his tenure in Congress, he forged a distinguished legislative 
record on issues as diverse as public land management, agriculture, 
fiscal responsibility and rural health care. It was a great pleasure 
and honor to serve with Senator Thomas on the Senate Subcommittee on 
National Parks, both when he was chairman and I was the ranking member, 
and most recently, when our roles were reversed this Congress. Working 
with Senator Thomas was a joy and privilege due to his positive and 
optimistic attitude. We were able to accomplish many notable things 
during our tenure together, as

[[Page 14496]]

we always worked in a bipartisan manner, putting the needs and 
challenges of the parks and public lands before all else.
  I also had the privilege of working with Senator Thomas on the Indian 
Affairs Committee. As the ranking member of the committee, he took 
seriously his responsibility to address the needs of our country's 
indigenous people. Knowing of the challenges faced by our Native 
communities throughout the country, he worked tirelessly to improve 
their quality of life.
  I extend my heartfelt condolences and deepest aloha to Senator 
Thomas's wife Susan and their four children. They should be proud that 
he lived a full and purposeful life, and had a positive impact on the 
lives of so many. He will be sorely missed. Our prayers and support are 
with them as they walk down this difficult path.
  Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, words cannot express how sad I am that 
my good friend Craig Thomas passed away last night. We will all truly 
miss his tenacious advocacy on issues, his incredible sense of humor, 
and his upstanding character and integrity. The Senate will not be the 
same without him.
  I have known Craig for almost 20 years. I first became friends with 
him when we both served in the House of Representatives. We continued 
our friendship in the Senate, where I had the great fortune of serving 
with him on both the Senate Finance and Senate Energy Committees.
  Craig was a tireless advocate for Wyoming issues. He was an effective 
leader in energy, public lands, tax, trade, health, and rural community 
issues. We stood side by side on many issues, and I always felt we 
could accomplish any project because I had Craig by my side.
  He and I worked closely on energy issues in both committees. Craig 
was skilled at keeping his eyes on the details that mattered to the 
people back home in Wyoming. Recently, we worked together on a small 
issue in the landmark Energy Policy Act of 2005 that he helped craft. 
We learned that western coals, because of their naturally low sulfur 
content, would be excluded from certain clean coal programs for failing 
to remove the high percentage mandated by the bill. This was one of 
those little things that slipped by many people but not Craig. We have 
already fixed the problem in the Tax Code and are now working to do the 
same in the Energy Committee. It was the little things he did for the 
people of Wyoming that made him such a great Senator for his State.
  Craig also pushed to make sure that both his State and the Nation had 
an effective energy policy. Just a couple of weeks ago, Craig and I 
sponsored an amendment during markup of the Energy Committee biofuels 
bill to attempt to push coal-to-liquids technology into reality. Thomas 
believed this would help both the people of Wyoming by providing more 
jobs and cheaper energy costs and would help the Nation by reducing our 
reliance on Middle East oil. And although this amendment failed in 
committee, his dogged determination showed through because he planned 
to continue fighting this issue on the Senate floor.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Susan and his children, 
Lexie, Greg, Patrick, and Peter. They have shown incredible courage and 
strength the past few months.
  I am honored to have known Senator Thomas. He impacted all of our 
lives and will be sorely missed.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I appreciate this consideration. I 
realize we must move to the legislation before us, the issue of 
immigration, but I wanted to take just a few minutes this afternoon to 
stand in tribute to my friend, to our friend and colleague, Senator 
Craig Thomas.
  I think it is fair to say that this is very difficult for all of us 
here in the Senate. It has been described that we are a family. We are 
friends. My neighbor Senator Thomas and I have sat on this back row 
together for this past year. I sit next to him in the Energy Committee. 
I sit next to him in the Indian Affairs Committee. He is a friend and a 
man whom I will miss very deeply. To learn this morning of his passing 
leaves me truly with a hole in my heart. I can't imagine the depth of 
loss the family and his wife Susan are feeling at this point.
  We recognize that we were privileged to serve with a truly incredible 
man. I haven't served with him as long as many of my Senate colleagues. 
I came to know him really from a very personal perspective. I was 
fascinated with the fact that he is a true cowboy. I have always kind 
of thought that cowboys never die. He was claimed by a very terrible 
disease, a very terrible cancer, leukemia. Alaska mourned the loss of a 
young woman just last year who was claimed by leukemia. She was a 
world-famous dog musher. In Alaska, we say dog mushers, real famous dog 
mushers never die, either. So, again, my heart is very heavy.
  When I got up this morning and saw on my BlackBerry the news of 
Senator Thomas, there was a second BlackBerry that came to me from one 
of the pages who served here in the Senate just last fall. She was one 
of the winter pages. I was very touched by the note she sent to the 
head of the page program, and she forwarded me a copy of it as well. I 
want to read just a paragraph from her e-mail to me because I think it 
reflects how Senator Thomas touched the lives of so many--not just his 
colleagues and not just the people of Wyoming but a young 16-year-old 
page from Alaska. She wrote:

       My class and I witnessed some of the stages of Senator 
     Thomas' sickness, but we never witnessed him getting upset or 
     angry because he was feeling down and overtired due to his 
     symptoms and treatments.
       Senator Thomas was a cheerful man, always smiling and 
     personable, even when he was not being approached. He did not 
     have to address us at all; we were pages, mere peons in the 
     infrastructure of what we know as the Senate. Yet, every time 
     he entered the Senate, he warmed the room with his smile and 
     a warm glow that protruded gently from his kind eyes. When he 
     would speak to us, he did so with the utmost respect and 
     thoughtfulness, truly treating us as equals. He never looked 
     down on us, and I believe that is why his memory has stayed 
     with me and will continue to do so in the future.
       What made Senator Thomas remarkable, aside from all this, 
     was that at the end of the day when we were at our lowest 
     point and we felt so tired we couldn't help but frown, he was 
     the one that no one ever caught frowning. He was a great 
     Senator, and from what I have had the chance to witness 
     firsthand, a great man. I am deeply sorry for this loss, and 
     I hope that this e-mail will attest to that. His actions and 
     his kindness were not lost on us.

  This was signed:

       With utmost respect and deepest sincerity, Former U.S. 
     Senate Page, Lily George
       From Anchorage, AK.

  I thought it important to share that e-mail with my colleagues 
because, again, Senator Thomas was one who generated warmth with 
everybody he reached out to, whether they were pages or Senators or 
people in the airport. We will miss him very deeply here in the Senate.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, today we pay tribute to Senator Craig 
Thomas, whom we unfortunately lost to cancer last night.
  Our thoughts, prayers, and sympathy go out to his wife Susan and 
their children during this difficult time.
  I had the opportunity to work closely with Senator Thomas on the 
Environment and Public Works Committee.
  He was a leader in the energy, agriculture, water resources and 
agricultural issues that affected his State.
  I highly respected his low-key, behind-the-scenes manner of getting 
things done.
  He was forward looking: he believed that ``clean technologies'' were 
a solution both to environmental pollution and to our dependence on 
foreign oil.
  On the Finance Committee, he was a dependable vote for fiscal sanity, 
tax simplification and cutting spending.
  It is said around here that there are ``work horses'' and ``show 
horses.'' By that measure Senator Thomas was certainly a work horse. He 
did not aggressively seek the limelight. Instead he worked quietly and 
diligently, with integrity, to get things done for Wyoming.
  We will miss his knowledge, competence, and his friendship.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, I am deeply saddened by the death of my 
friend, Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming.

[[Page 14497]]

  Craig Thomas was a popular figure in his home State of Wyoming, 
winning a third term last November with 70 percent of the vote. He was 
known both at home and in Washington as honest, hard-working, decent, 
and effective.
  He came to the Senate in 1989 through a special election to fill the 
vacancy left by Dick Cheney, who had been named Secretary of Defense. 
He won that race with 52 percent of the vote. By the year 2000, Senator 
Thomas's popularity had soared, and he won reelection with 74 percent 
of the vote--one of the largest margins of victory in Wyoming history.
  Senator Thomas's record of public service reaches back well before 
his tenure in the U.S. Senate. Prior to his election to the Senate, he 
served 5 years in the Wyoming Legislature, and four years in the U.S. 
Marine Corps.
  His positions on the Finance Committee, Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee, and Environment and Public Works Committee allowed him to be 
an advocate for issues such as conservation and fiscal conservatism. He 
was a champion of issues of concern to rural America such as 
affordability and access to quality health care services.
  Senator Thomas's home State of Wyoming is not unlike my State of 
Mississippi, and we often worked side-by-side on issues that face our 
States. He fought to improve the quality of life for the people of 
Wyoming and was a strong advocate for the agricultural sector of our 
economy. He was tireless in urging the importance of public land 
management and conservation of our natural resources.
  Craig Thomas will truly be missed in the U.S. Senate. He reflected 
great credit on this body. It is my hope that the spirit of fairness 
and decency he represented will continue to be highly valued in the 
Senate as a mark of our continued appreciation of him and his exemplary 
service to our Nation.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)
 Mr. OBAMA. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
dear colleague and a tireless advocate for the people of Wyoming, 
Senator Craig Thomas.
  Muhammad Ali once said, ``Service to others is the rent you pay for 
your room here on Earth.'' Senator Thomas paid his rent in full.
  No truer to his State could a man be than Craig Thomas was. Born and 
raised on a ranch outside of Cody, WY, he grew up in the Wyoming public 
school system, attended the University of Wyoming, served as president 
of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, general manager of the Wyoming Rural 
Electric Association. He served in both the House and Senate and 
returned to his State every weekend, visiting hometowns and parks, 
never losing sight of his constituents and their needs.
  His commitment to this country led him to serve with great 
distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959. Before being 
elected to the U.S. Congress, he held office for 5 years in the Wyoming 
State Legislature, where he got his start in politics. And throughout 
his distinguished political career, Craig Thomas became known for his 
leadership on issues so critical to the well-being of Wyoming, issues 
like rural health care access, fiscal responsibility, and the 
protection of our Nation's park lands. As cochair of the Senate Rural 
Health Caucus, he urged Congress to continue its support for rural 
health programs like the Community Health Centers Program, which 
provides services to over 16 million people living in underserved 
areas. This is only one of the many legacies he leaves behind.
  I am sorry I could have not served longer with Senator Thomas. My 
memories of him are as a kind, quiet, and humble man. He commanded 
enormous respect from us all, and had a clarity of vision that did not 
go unnoticed. In the face of a life-threatening illness, he returned to 
work this year with the conviction of a cowboy who knows that if you 
get thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on. His 
courage throughout this tremendous battle will continue to inspire 
those of us who follow him.
  On this sad occasion of his passing, Michelle and I extend our 
deepest condolences to the members of his family, especially his wife 
Susan and his four children, to his staff, and to the people of 
Wyoming. I join my colleagues and fellow Americans who are praying for 
them and mourning their loss during this time of grief.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President. I rise to honor the memory of 
Senator Craig Thomas, who passed away last night, Monday, June 4, at 
National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
  I knew Senator Thomas--as we all did--as a quiet gentleman, and a 
dedicated advocate for the people of Wyoming.
  My heart goes out to his wife Susan and to their four children.
  Senator Thomas died of acute myeloid leukemia, which he had been 
fighting for several months.
  All of us are familiar with Senator Thomas' courage, because we saw 
it here, in the Capitol, and on the floor of the Senate.
  He came here to do his duty, even though he was fighting a disease 
that would ultimately take his life. That is the mark of true courage--
not at all surprising, coming from this son of the American West.
  Senator Thomas was raised on a ranch near Cody, WY. He attended 
public schools, and graduated from the University of Wyoming at 
Laramie, earning a degree in agriculture.
  After college, he served 4 years in the Marine Corps. Then he went on 
to become vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, and general 
manager of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association.
  He served 5 years in the Wyoming State Legislature. In 1989, he was 
elected to the House of Representatives in a special election to 
replace Dick Cheney, who had been named Secretary of Defense. He was 
elected to his first term in the Senate in 1994.
  Senator Thomas was reelected to his third term last year, with 70 
percent of the vote.
  Here, Senator Thomas was a strong voice for the people of his home 
State.
  This included working to improve health care opportunities for rural 
families, work he pursued as a senior member of the Senate Finance 
Committee, and as cochair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.
  Senator Thomas served as chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, 
and his work was recognized many times by the National Parks 
Conservation Association.
  The organization honored him with its William Penn Mott Jr. 
Leadership Award, and with the National Parks Achievement Award.
  I had the distinct pleasure of working with Senator Thomas on some 
issues close to my heart.
  Earlier this year, he was part of a bipartisan coalition that joined 
with me, and with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, to extend the sale of 
the breast cancer research stamp, which has raised $54.9 million for 
breast cancer research.
  Last year, Senator Thomas joined with me to cosponsor legislation to 
award the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness, the Fourteenth 
Dalai Lama, in recognition of his message of compassion and peace.
  And Senator Thomas and I collaborated on a plan to use Wyoming Powder 
River Coal to produce cleaner electricity, which would be sold to 
Western States, including California.
  Senator Thomas served Wyoming and the Nation well. He will be greatly 
missed.
  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute and bid 
farewell to my colleague and friend, my neighbor from the great State 
of Wyoming, Senator Craig Thomas.
  Craig brought a quiet dignity to this august Chamber. He was a 
Senator with the heart of a cowboy. We all knew that he would rather 
have been on horseback in the Wyoming prairie than in Washington, DC, 
but this was where the people of Wyoming needed him to be. Indeed, all 
citizens of America benefitted greatly from his presence in Washington, 
DC.
  Craig was the champion of rural America. He quietly but tirelessly 
fought for the hard-working people of rural America, the people who 
provide us with food and energy, the wool-

[[Page 14498]]

growers, the cattlemen, and the farmers. If ever there were a question 
on agriculture, Craig was the man to see. During his tenure in the U.S. 
Senate, we all relied heavily on Senator Thomas's expertise and 
leadership on agriculture, rural development, and many other important 
topics debated by this body.
  We served together on the Senate Finance Committee where he would 
often entertain us with his stories and experiences. I truly enjoyed 
listening to him and hearing about his great State of Wyoming. Craig 
had a way of dealing with the complex issues facing the Finance 
Committee that was very direct and meaningful. He had a way of 
distilling the complex tax, trade, and health care issues down to their 
core and ensuring that real people, with real concerns were addressed 
by the policies created in the Finance Committee.
  I have had the distinct privilege of sitting next to Craig in 
committee meetings, in briefings, in lunches, on the floor, and in 
several other settings, and I can tell you he was always a gentlemen. 
He was always a caring legislator, and he was always a true and loyal 
friend.
  Craig earned great stature and prestige in the time he spent as a 
leader in the U.S. Marine Corps, the Wyoming Farm Bureau, the Wyoming 
State Legislature, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. 
Senate. I am honored to have served beside him for so many years in the 
Senate, and I will miss my friend dearly.
  I join with my colleagues in offering my condolences to Senator 
Thomas's family, especially his widow, Susan. My thoughts and prayers 
are with them on this day as we mourn the loss of a great Senator but 
celebrate the life of our great and dear man. The people of Wyoming 
will certainly thank Susan and the rest of the Thomas family for 
sharing their beloved Craig with them, and I believe the entire Nation 
would join with me in thanking Susan for sharing her great husband with 
us. He represented the good people of Wyoming in such a capable and 
dignified manner, and I know they are going to miss him. In fact, the 
entire Nation is going to miss him.
  In this instance, I believe it is appropriate to quote the beloved 
cowboy song and say to Craig, ``Happy trails to you, till we meet 
again.''
  Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I was deeply saddened to hear of the 
sudden passing of my colleague from Wyoming, Senator Craig Thomas. The 
loss we all feel at his passing is tempered by the happy memories I 
have of working with him on so many issues of mutual interest. His 
efforts and his leadership on the panels on which we served together 
the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senate 
Environment and Public Works Committee--will remain foremost in my 
memory. I particularly admired his staunch advocacy for the needs of 
rural communities and farmers. Craig brought a special passion and 
expertise to issues affecting ranching families. His focus on their 
unique needs spanned the trade, economic, environmental, and public 
lands management issues of rural communities.
  Craig brought to Congress his vision for the needs of Wyoming and 
rural States, and he became a strong advocate of effective resource and 
energy policies. I am pleased to have partnered with him in applying 
technologies to improving our Nation's energy generation. Although he 
lived his life modestly, he became a leader in national park 
stewardship, and the American people owe him a debt of gratitude for 
his promotion of the underserved National Park System. I also 
appreciated his long and thoughtful counsel on ways to update the 
Endangered Species Act.
  In recent months, Craig took a prime role on the Finance Committee in 
working to simplify the Federal Tax Code and improve entitlement and 
health care assistance to the least fortunate. As one who took to heart 
the importance of protecting the taxpayers' dollars, Craig was a strong 
proponent of restoring the sustainability of our Nation's welfare 
system. And Craig understood that economic development in rural States 
like Wyoming was inextricably linked to trade promotion that ensured 
open and fair markets abroad. I will miss his stalwart and consistent 
advocacy for farming communities as the Senate considered trade 
legislation.
  As a man who represented a small State in population, Craig towered 
large over the landscape of thoughtful conservative Members of 
Congress. I think a fitting tribute and legacy to our late friend would 
be to adopt his resolution making July 28 National Day of the Cowboy. 
My thoughts and prayers are with Craig's family and friends. I will 
miss my good friend and colleague.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, last night, the State of Wyoming lost a 
fine statesman and a true gentleman with the passing of Senator Craig 
Thomas. Senator Thomas was a strong advocate for his State and its 
interests. He fought hard for his priorities, and I especially admired 
his tireless advocacy for our Nation's beautiful parks and wilderness. 
He also worked hard for the priorities of rural Wyoming and indeed all 
of rural America, fighting hard to improve health care infrastructure.
  Senator Thomas dedicated his life to serving his country and his 
State. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, he joined the 
Marines and began his long career of service. Even when faced with his 
final battle with cancer, he continued to fight on for Wyoming and 
serve with distinction.
  But the Senate lost not only an outstanding advocate but a wonderful 
person. More than anything, I will remember Senator Thomas as a man who 
carried himself with dignity and who treated all of his colleagues with 
respect, despite party differences. More than any debate, committee 
hearing or piece of legislation, it is his warm smile that I will 
remember most. I know he did a fantastic job representing the State of 
Wyoming, and I am honored to have known and worked with him.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this 
difficult time.
  Mr. BYRD. Madam President:

     I saw the sun sink in the golden west
     No angry cloud obscured its latest ray.
     Around the couch on which it sank to rest
     Shone all the splendor of a summer day.
     And long though lost to view, that radiant light
     Reflected from the skies, delayed the night.

     Thus, when a good man's life draws to a close,
     No doubts arise to cloud his soul with gloom,
     But faith triumphant on each feature glows,
     While benedictions fill the sacred room;
     And long, long do men his virtues wide proclaim
     And generations rise to praise his name.

  It is with deep sorrow--deep sorrow--that I note the passing of our 
colleague Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming. He was my friend. He always 
passed here and I would say: How are you doing today, Cowboy?
  First elected to the Senate in 1994, Senator Thomas was twice 
reelected to the Senate by some of the widest margins in his State's 
history, one time reaching 75 percent of the vote. It is hard to beat 
that.
  As has already been mentioned today, he was one of the very few 
people from Wyoming to have represented his State in both houses of the 
Congress, over there and over here. Here in the Senate, I found him to 
be a most considerate and patient colleague. He was always willing to 
step aside for another Senator who sought recognition. He was a nice 
man, a very quiet man with a radiant smile, staying out of the 
spotlight, working behind the scenes, always ready to cooperate and 
work with others for the good of our country. He was a good, decent 
human being.
  Yes, we represented different political parties. Yes, we sometimes 
held different political views, and we came from vastly different parts 
of the country, but we shared important common interests and 
objectives. With his State of Wyoming being the No. 1 coal-producing 
State in the Nation and my State of West Virginia being No. 2, I always 
appreciated his support for clean coal technologies and legislation 
that promoted the use of coal. I always appreciated his interest in and 
support of our country's beautiful and magnificent national parks. As 
chairman of

[[Page 14499]]

the National Parks Subcommittee on the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee, he sponsored legislation that both protected and promoted 
these national treasures.
  Just as this former marine dedicated his life to his country, he 
dedicated his career in the Senate to improving the quality of life for 
rural America. As cochairman of the Senate rural health caucus, he 
worked tirelessly to improve the quality of rural health care. He was 
truly a fine Member of this institution and a great American who will 
be missed by his colleagues, certainly by me, and by the people of 
Wyoming.
  I express my sincere condolences to his wife Susan, to his sons and 
other members of his family, to his staff, and to the people of 
Wyoming. All of us will miss Senator Thomas. But we will always retain 
our very fond memories of him, Craig Thomas. Bless his soul. May God 
bless him.
  I repeat these few verses in his memory:

     Let Fate do her worst,
     There are relics of joy,
     Bright dreams of the past,
     Which she cannot destroy;
     Which come, in the night-time
     Of sorrow and care,
     And bring back the features
     That joy used to wear.

     Long, long be my heart
     With such memories filled,
     Like the vase in which roses
     Have once been distilled;
     You may break, you may shatter
     The vase, if you will,
     But the scent of the roses
     Will hang round it still.

  Goodbye, Craig. I will miss you. But we will meet again on that far 
shore where the roses never wither and the flowers never fade.
  Mr. KYL. Madam President, I am going to have a statement printed in 
the Record, but I did wish to say something this evening before the 
evening is over about our colleague, Craig Thomas. Craig was a 
wonderful friend of all of us. In my case, being a fellow Westerner, I 
had a special affinity for Craig. He was a fellow I could talk to--
without talk. Particularly a cowboy such as Craig can communicate with 
you in a real Western way that doesn't require a whole lot of ``jibber-
jabber,'' as he would say.
  Craig was a man of the earth. He really was a cowboy, and a good one 
at that. He took that kind of set of Western values, of not talking a 
whole lot but meaning what he says and saying what he means, into the 
political life. When he came to the Senate, I think everyone 
appreciated that quality in him.
  By the way, I would say he reminds me of my colleague, the Senator 
from Alabama, in that regard. You never have any doubt about where the 
Senator from Alabama stands and you never had any doubt about where 
Senator Craig Thomas stood. That is a quality we need in our public 
officials today.
  Craig's wife Susan is a wonderful friend of mine and of my wife 
Carol. Our hearts go out to her and their family tonight. But she does 
have, at least, I think, the solace in knowing that people all over 
this country--not just from their home State of Wyoming--have 
tremendous respect for the achievements of her husband Craig and the 
way in which he handled himself as a Member of the Senate, never 
letting an ego take over what he understood to be his primary 
responsibilities.
  He was quiet and he was humble. He was serious and he was very hard 
working. He stood up for the interests of the people of his State. He 
was a great patriot for the United States of America. But he never took 
himself so seriously that he gave even a hint of pomposity or being 
someone who didn't understand where he was grounded.
  We will miss Craig Thomas immensely. We will never forget him as a 
loyal friend, a patriot, and someone who was quintessential in the way 
he represented his area of the United States and, in particular, his 
constituents in the State of Wyoming.
  I thank the Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, I thank Senator Kyl for his good 
remarks. I thought perhaps tomorrow I would have the ability to focus 
on our loss, but I will attempt tonight to say a few words about our 
colleague, Craig Thomas. I loved Craig Thomas. He was a person who came 
from the West. He understood where he came from. He understood the 
values with which he was raised, and he reflected those daily in his 
work in the Senate without ever bragging about it or talking about it. 
People just knew it. He was a man of character and integrity, a man 
who, as Senator Kyl indicated, never allowed personal ego to interfere 
with his commitment to serve his constituents and his Nation.
  We had a visit to Iraq together not too long ago. Things had not been 
going well. He would ask penetrating questions. He would ask: When are 
the Iraqis stepping up and how much are they doing so? How long do we 
continue to put our troops at risk if they are not carrying their load?
  He did it in a way that was sincere and raised fundamental questions 
of great importance.
  Craig liked issues. He believed in a series of principles that made 
America great. He cared about those principles. For a time, he 
volunteered to come to the floor and be a part of a message team for 
the Republican Senate Members and spent a good bit of time at it--over 
a year or two. During that time he would articulate the basic premises 
and values that I think are foundational for the Republican Party and 
for most Americans.
  I would say to our wonderful friend Susan, our prayers and our 
sympathies are with you. We can only imagine the loss you have 
sustained. We have watched in these past months the courage that Craig 
had displayed as he suffered from the terrible disease that he had. We 
saw the strength that he had, his refusal to stay at home but his 
determination to be at work. I had several examples of it in which I 
talked to him, and I said it is not necessary for you, you need to rest 
up. He knew he was susceptible to infection. But he was determined to 
fulfill his responsibilities as a Senator and he did so in a way that 
all could be proud.
  He ran the race and he fought the fight. He served his country with 
great skill and ability. Our respect and love is extended to the family 
and our prayers are with him and the family.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I am aware of the hour of the 
recess, and I will be very brief. But I wished to come and express my 
condolences to the family of Senator Thomas and to share for them, 
spread upon the pages of the Congressional Record, the fact that a 
faithful member of the weekly Senators Prayer Breakfast was Senator 
Thomas.
  The gathering is private, Senators only. All Senators check their 
egos and check their partisanship at the door and join together as 
friends in a spiritual setting.
  What a delight it was for this Senator to share that collegiality 
with Senator Thomas on a weekly basis in the proceedings of the Senate. 
For that friendship, that collegiality, I am especially grateful.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.

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