[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22205]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO SENATORS

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I want to take just a few minutes to 
speak about our colleagues who have announced their plans to retire at 
the conclusion of this 110th Congress. We obviously will miss them. 
There are five individuals about whom I wanted to say a brief word: 
Senators Allard, Hagel, Craig, Warner, and Domenici. They have all 
brought their intelligence, principles, and perspectives on the issues 
confronting our Nation. The Nation is better for their efforts.
  Senators Allard and Hagel both came to the Senate in 1996.


                              Wayne Allard

  Senator Allard had a long career in public service before coming to 
the Senate. He managed to serve the State of Colorado while never 
giving up his credentials as an expert veterinarian in that State, 
reaffirming the long-held belief that he and all of us have had that a 
legislative body should be composed of individuals with training other 
than that which they acquire here in the Halls of Congress. His 
straightforward approach has been a hallmark of his work here.
  Living a principle that he espouses, he is fulfilling his often-
stated intention to limit himself to two terms. He and his wife Joan 
will certainly be missed here in the Senate.


                              Chuck Hagel

  Chuck Hagel of Nebraska forged a very successful career in business 
and broadcasting, civic organizations and government, but first he 
served our country as a sergeant in Vietnam. It was an honor to work 
with him on the Vietnam Memorial visitors center legislation. He has 
championed that cause, knowing firsthand how much it means to have 
lived through the experience of that war. He has a wide knowledge of 
the world, and he has informed his thoughtful and well-considered 
positions on foreign policy and arms control and national security 
issues with that knowledge.
  He can always be counted on for a straightforward approach and an 
honest statement of his views.


                              Larry Craig

  My longtime colleague on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 
Senator Craig, has been a valuable voice for Idaho for decades. He 
served in his State's legislature for 6 years before coming to the 
House of Representatives 28 years ago, where he served for 10 years.
  In 1990, he was elected to the Senate. We worked very closely on 
issues important to energy and natural resources throughout the West. 
He has been a leader in many national policy areas, including aging and 
opening trade to Cuba.
  I have appreciated his contributions, particularly in our Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee, where his opinions have always been 
clearly expressed and his best efforts are made to represent his State 
and the Nation.


                              John Warner

  With the exception of Harry Byrd, John Warner has represented 
Virginia in the Senate longer than any other Senator in its history. He 
has done so with great enthusiasm, skill, hard work, and style. To many 
people, John Warner embodies what a Senator should be. He knows the 
world, he knows this country, and he knows, of course, his beloved 
State. He is an outstanding citizen of each of those.
  He is a patriot in the old-fashioned and in the deep-hearted sense of 
that word. He has demonstrated his love of country through years of 
service both in uniform and out of uniform. The miles he has traveled 
to all corners of the world to see our forces in action and the hours--
innumerable hours--he spent hearing committee testimony, he has 
absorbed. That has equipped him to really be an expert in this body on 
military issues. His leadership will be missed on those issues and 
other issues as well here.


                             Pete Domenici

  The most senior Senator retiring this year, of course, is my 
colleague and friend Senator Pete Domenici. He is not only the most 
senior Senator retiring this year from the Senate, he is also the most 
senior Senator New Mexico has ever had. When Pete leaves the Senate 
this year, it will be after 36 years of unstinting work doing his best 
for his country and for our State of New Mexico.
  He will be the first to say that his success and longevity here could 
not have been possible without two important elements: his family and 
his staff. The love and support of his wife Nancy have been invaluable. 
Also, from the first, he has had a fine staff. It was true when he came 
to Washington and it is certainly true today, here and in New Mexico. 
They are skilled individuals who make it their business to be helpful 
to the people of our State.
  Senator Domenici's contributions are well known to all of us. His 
work on the Budget Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee and the Appropriations Committee over the years has made a 
lasting impact on national policy. As a member of the Budget Committee, 
from the day he was sworn in, he was either the chairman or ranking 
member of that committee for 12 years of his 36 years on the committee.
  One of the things in which he takes great pride is helping to get us 
to a balanced Federal budget twice. We can all appreciate how difficult 
that kind of undertaking is.
  Senator Domenici and I, of course, served on the Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee together. The Senate Historian has told us that as 
far as his office can tell, it is the only instance in the history of 
the Senate where Senators from the same State served as chairman and 
ranking member of the same committee at the same time. Obviously, I 
will miss that arrangement.
  New Mexicans, including me, have great affection and respect for Pete 
Domenici. ``People for Pete'' is the motto Pete has used in each of his 
campaigns for many years. It is not just a famous campaign phrase in 
our State--although it is seen on bumper stickers all over our State 
whenever a campaign is underway involving Pete--but it is a bit of a 
twist on what his career has been all about; that is: Pete for the 
people of New Mexico. That has been his commitment. He has carried 
through in great form.
  We will miss his service to the State of New Mexico here in the 
Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.

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