[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 401]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RESIGNATION OF SENATOR JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. At this point, the Chair lays a communication 
before the Senate.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

     Hon. Richard Cheney,
     President of the United States Senate, U.S. Capitol, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Vice President: I am resigning my seat in the 
     United States Senate as the senior Senator from the State of 
     Delaware to assume my duties as Vice President of the United 
     States of America. My resignation is effective January 15, 
     2009, at 5 p.m.
           Sincerely,
                                             Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,
                                                     U.S. Senator.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, what a sad but happy day it is to have that 
letter read before the world. Joe Biden, from the day I came to the 
Senate, was the most gracious, helpful person one could imagine. Having 
chosen him speaks volumes about Barack Obama. We will miss Senator 
Biden, with his many years in the Senate, but we look forward to his 
working arm in arm with Barack Obama for the next 8 years.

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