[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21172-21176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words about my 
friendship and my admiration for the retiring Senator from the State of 
Florida. I didn't know Senator Martinez before he came to the Senate. I 
think the first time I had an insight into who he was and what he 
brought to the Senate was at a Prayer Breakfast, when Senator Martinez 
explained to a number of us how he happened to be an American. He was 
one of the fortunate few who escaped from Cuba under the tyranny of the 
Castro regime and was given a chance to come to Florida. He told me and 
others how difficult it was, struggling with a language he didn't know. 
He explained that one of the real saviors for him was the fact that he 
was a good athlete so he was able to play many sports, make many 
friends, and learn English in the process. He became not only an 
integral part of that community in Florida but an integral part of 
America's political future.
  In his story of growing up in Florida, his family--his wife Kitty and 
his children--mean the world to him. When I heard he was retiring, I 
called from Illinois to reach him and wish him the best. I asked, as 
everyone would: Why? He said: It is all about my family.
  I wish to tell the Senator I salute him for that. It takes an 
extraordinary amount of courage for a person to give up the adulation 
and the heady atmosphere of the Senate, to remember what is most 
important in their lives.
  I also thank him for his extraordinary courage and helpfulness on so 
many issues, particularly when it came to issues of immigration. I know 
Senator Martinez feels this personally. This is something that he has 
been through himself and he knows so many others alike who are looking 
for that chance to prove to America that they can make a contribution.
  Senator Martinez has been an outspoken supporter of the DREAM Act, 
which was an opportunity for younger people to have their chance in 
America. I thank the Senator for that. I know it was not easy because 
there are many critics, as the Senator you told me, who would come 
forward and tell him what a bad idea it was. But the Senator's courage 
in standing for that is an indication of the kind of person he is.
  Florida is going to lose a great Senator in Mel Martinez. America is 
going to lose an important voice in the Senate. But I don't think we 
have heard the last of Mel Martinez. I think his contribution, whether 
as a citizen or some other walk of life in public service, is in the 
future.
  I am honored to count you as a friend and colleague in the Senate. I 
wish you and your family the very best.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee is recognized.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I often think how the best stories in 
the Senate are not the political stories. We can all recount them--
Senator Inouye's bravery in World War II, leading to a Congressional 
Medal of Honor; the former majority leader, Bill Frist, performing open 
heart surgery on General Petraeus when he was accidentally shot in Fort 
Campbell; Ben Nighthorse Campbell on the Olympic judo team; Jim Bunning 
in the Hall of Fame; Jim Inhofe circling the world in an airplane the 
way Wiley Post did; Ted Stevens flying the first cargo plane into 
Beijing in 1944 at the end of World War II; and then after the 
elections of 2004, we had Ken Salazar from Colorado, 15th-generation 
American, whose family came to this country so early; we had Barack 
Obama with his incredible story; and then we had Mel Martinez in the 
same year.
  Despite the emotion of all those stories, the story of Mel Martinez 
stands out to me. As the Senator from Illinois said, imagine growing up 
in Cuba--a good life. Not a rich life, but a good life--so well 
recounted in this book, ``A Sense Of Belonging,'' that Senator Martinez 
wrote. Suddenly the Castro regime comes, it is 1958, and one day your 
parents put you on an airplane and send you to Miami, not knowing 
whether they will ever see you again. Then foster homes, then bringing 
your parents over, going to Florida State, meeting Kitty, becoming the 
first Hispanic lawyer, I guess, in Orange County, and then the mayor 
and then a Cabinet member, then Senator, then Republican National 
Committee chairman--what a terrific story, so well told in this book.
  One thing about our country that is unique is we believe anything is 
possible. The rest of the world looks at us and thinks that we 
Americans are very naive, but constantly we prove that anything is 
possible, over and over again--often with the election of a President 
from unusual circumstances, as we just had. But the story of Mel 
Martinez, his escape from Cuba's communism, his coming from that, 
speaking no English, to what he has already accomplished, and now 
moving on to yet another career, this one in private life, is an 
inspiration for our country. He has enriched this body. He says in his 
book:

       My journey has taught me that it is not an empty cliche 
     that this country is a land where dreams can and do come 
     true.

  His life shows that. We have enjoyed his friendship. We appreciate 
his example for the country, and we wish him and Kitty well for the 
next chapter in their lives.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in congratulating my 
friend from Florida for his service to our country. He has served in so 
many different ways as has already been noted. But he is truly an 
example of the American success story, someone who came here, 
established himself, and has risen to the very highest, I guess you 
would call it, echelons of this country in terms of public service and 
his contributions to the private economy in this country. So it is with 
great regret that we say goodbye to him as a Senator but continue to 
maintain the strong friendships we have built and developed during his 
service here.
  They say that someone is measured not by the days in their life but 
by the life in their days. While Senator Martinez has maybe not served 
here as long as some other Senators--he and I came into this Senate 
together back in 2005--he may not be measured by his days of life in 
the Senate, but he is certainly measured by the life of his days in the 
Senate because he has added vitally to the debate here. He is an 
incredibly thoughtful Senator, someone from whom I have to say I have 
learned a lot--not just in our personal friendship but professionally--
because he brings so many insights and such a thoughtful way in the way 
he looks at issues--domestic issues, foreign policy issues. I have 
learned a lot about Cuba. I have learned a lot about Latin America.
  I have learned a lot about the Hispanic community in this country. 
And those are insights and contributions that he has made that no one 
else could make. It is very rare, indeed, to have someone of his 
experience and life experience and his quality to serve in the Senate 
and be able to rub shoulders and learn every single day from those 
experiences.

[[Page 21173]]

  I congratulate Senator Martinez and his family. As he said, like 
myself and many others of us, Mel married over his head. He has a 
wonderful wife and family. And I hope that now, when he is not a Member 
of the Senate, we will get to see a little bit more of him in the State 
of South Dakota, because his son John married a South Dakota girl. I 
have been trying to hunt pheasants. He has made trips up there, but it 
is always a little bit later in the season when that time of the year 
comes around, and the climate tends to change in South Dakota. But I 
hope that now that he has a little bit more time to enjoy those types 
of things, we will get that chance.
  I want to express my great appreciation to the Senator from Florida 
for an extraordinary run here in the Senate. He truly is the kind of 
person where what you see is what you get. That is rare in politics 
today--genuine, thoughtful, sincere, kind, generous, the kind of person 
who serves whom I want to see more of in public life.
  It has been a pleasure and an honor to have had the opportunity to 
serve with him in the Senate and to call him a colleague. But it is 
even a greater privilege and honor and opportunity to have been able to 
call him my friend.
  So, Mel, best wishes. Whatever you do, you are going to do well. We 
are proud of you. And thank you for your great contributions to our 
country. God bless you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina is recognized.
  Mr. GRAHAM. This is the time in a person's career you are supposed to 
lay it on thick. But there is no need to do that in Mel's case. I think 
everybody here speaking on both sides of the aisle is trying to say 
thank you for your friendship, and there are a million ways to say it. 
To Kitty, again, thank you for being part of our lives here. We are 
going to continue this relationship.
  I think all of us have got stories about Mel. I first heard about Mel 
by reputation. He was a Republican trial lawyer. That intrigued me. 
There are not many of us. We can meet in a phone booth. I got to know 
Mel during his campaign and did some events for him. I think that 
experience of representing people in court made him a good Senator 
because he understands that there are two sides of every story, and 
sometimes a person needs the best advocate they can get, even though 
their cause may not be so popular at the moment.
  But I got to know Mel during the immigration debate. That is a hell 
of a way to meet someone. You will learn quickly when you are talking 
about politics at that level, that emotional, and Mel was going to be 
part of that debate whether he wanted to or not because of who he was. 
You could not talk about immigration and not think about Mel Martinez. 
He was the first one to show up and he was the last one to leave, and 
we will get that bill passed one day. It will be a tribute to Mel and 
Senator Kennedy that the guts of the bill will be the solution that 
will be embraced down the road.
  That was tough politics. We would reminisce at night. And Saxby was 
involved. We would meet every morning in the room over there, the 
President's Room, with Senator Kennedy and Senator McCain, trying to 
figure out where we were based on what happened the night before. 
Usually we had lost ground, but we kept plugging. But a lot of stories 
were told about what was going on in Mel's life.
  There is a lot of hatred out there, quite frankly. There are a lot of 
people who should be upset about the immigration system not working and 
broken borders and legitimately concerned about the solution we were 
offering. But there were some people who were, quite frankly, hateful. 
I think Mel took the brunt of that more than anyone else. It did not 
get a lot of publicity, and probably it should not. But I know what he 
and Kitty went through to try to fix a broken immigration system. I 
will be forever grateful for their effort, because it was personally 
very difficult.
  When Mel left a repressive place, he came to a hopeful country, and 
during that debate he never lost sight of what America is all about. 
America will never be defined by the people who hate. America will 
always be defined by people who love and care. I have never met two 
people who love and care more than Kitty and Mel. You will be missed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas is recognized.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I too join my colleagues in recognizing 
Mel Martinez and his great contribution to this body and his 
friendship. I think most of those things have been said.
  One of the things I learned from a leader in the Senator's State was 
a saying that he gave to me that: We get into trouble when we look at 
people as problems and not as people. I have thought about that for a 
long time, because you can go back in our history, and generally when 
we have looked at people as problems and not people, that is when we 
have gotten into trouble. When you look at various situations we have 
had, and even the immigration debate would be one: Well, this is a 
problem. No, this is a person. Or you can look at our debate on 
abortion in this country and say: Well, we have got a problem here. No, 
we have a person here.
  The consistency of what I have seen in Mel's policy position has been 
very much, no, this is a person. It is not just a person, this is a 
great person, and not just a great person, this is an unusual 
individual. He celebrates that with everyone. That is a beautiful thing 
to do and it is a beautiful thing to have, and it is a beautiful thing 
to see, because then that carries over into his friendships, so 
whenever he is talking with someone else, it may be a colleague or 
another individual, normally you are sitting there and you are going: 
Okay, I need to get something done through this person. But I do not 
usually find that in a conversation with Mel. Normally what I find is: 
Well, yes, I need to get something done, but what I am interested in is 
you and what you are thinking and who you are. And this is not an 
opportunity for me to get something, this is an opportunity for me to 
celebrate another beautiful soul who is standing right there and 
staring at me and talking to me, and I have this unique opportunity to 
engage them.
  How much better we all are when we look at people as people and not 
as problems or as opportunities or as obstacles to get through. That is 
where I find what he embodies does in this way he works. I am going to 
miss you, Mel. We are going to miss you an awful lot. We appreciate 
you. I appreciate the lessons you have taught me by the way you live 
and by the way you serve. God bless you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I speak with a good degree of 
regret, because he knows the heartfelt sentiments I am going to 
express, because I have tried for now the better part of 3 months to 
talk him out of this particular day. I did not want him to resign.
  It has been good for Florida the way the two of us have worked 
together professionally, because it is built on a personal friendship 
that goes back over 30 years. There was not a day we were in session 
here that Mel and I did not talk.
  Of course, this floor of the Senate is the place that you can get 
away from the other distractions, and, in fact, can come together and 
have those conversations you want. And that was so important in us 
looking out for the interests of Florida.
  So it is with a great deal of regret that this day has come. I think 
it is important that the two Senators from a State get along, and that 
is particularly true of two Senators who happen to be from different 
parties.
  It is my hope that the kind of relationship that we had both 
privately and publicly as the two Senators from Florida sends a message 
to our people that you can transcend partisan differences in order to 
get things done. I believe that is the relationship we have had now 
going on in the Senate for a little over 4\1/2\ years. I only wish that 
relationship were going to continue for another year and a half, to the 
remainder of Senator Martinez's term. But for personal reasons he has 
made this decision.

[[Page 21174]]

  It is incumbent upon me as the senior Senator of Florida and the 
newly appointed Senator to have the same kind of relationship for the 
good of our country, for the good of our State, to transcend political 
differences, to have a good personal relationship so we can get work 
done in a bipartisan way. I intend to do that. I assume that the new 
Senator will do likewise. Let me say that a lot of you do not know, 
with regard to Senator Martinez, that 30-- now going on 31, 32 years 
ago when we were a lot younger, he was already back then a very 
prominent trial lawyer. I was a pup State legislator trying to run in a 
congressional district that included the east coast of Florida and the 
interior, including Orlando. Mel was one of those high profile, very 
respected attorneys in Central Florida. And lo and behold, Mel and his 
wife Kitty, as I campaigned for that congressional seat in 1978, went 
out and went door to door for me. We have kept up that relationship 
over the years.
  So it has been my privilege to have had that personal relationship 
turn into the professional relationship as colleagues in the Senate.
  I say to Mel Martinez and to Kitty, God speed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, this is one of those times that none of 
us in the Senate looks particularly forward to--when we have to come 
and speak about a dear friend who is leaving the Senate. But I am 
excited for Mel and Kitty in a number of ways and very appreciative of 
the great relationship, No. 1, that we have made from a personal and 
collegial standpoint.
  I am very appreciative of the great work Mel Martinez has provided to 
our country over the last several years. Our friend Lamar Alexander, 
who spoke a little bit earlier, often talks and has got me talking back 
home, particularly to young people, about what it means to be an 
American.
  Mel Martinez has a greater appreciation about what it means to be an 
American than anyone in this body because of the fact that he is the 
only immigrant who is a Member of the Senate. I know how hard he worked 
to become a citizen, and that he has a great appreciation for what it 
means to be an American.
  What a great story it is, Mel, of you dodging bullets in Cuba, 
escaping communism and ultimately coming to the United States, being 
separated from your parents, being somewhat lost in a strange land you 
knew something about but did not know any people.
  As a 16-year-old young man, thrust into that situation, most of us 
would panic to some extent. Mel never did. And through the raising in 
orphanages and foster homes, and ultimately being reunited with his 
parents after his brother Ralph came over here, and being reunited with 
him before he was reunited with his parents, it is such a great 
personal story, and such a touching story, No. 1.
  But all of that served to develop a foundation in Mel Martinez that 
America has been the beneficiary of, and certainly those of us in this 
body who have come to know Mel and Kitty are the beneficiaries of. I 
guess the ironic thing is when you read Mel's book, ``A Sense of 
Belonging''--which I would commend to everybody who is listening out 
there today; what a great book; it is a short read, but you will have a 
lot of fun reading it and it will be of great interest to you--what you 
realize is when Mel got here, there were several things that allowed 
him to transition into American society.
  First of all, he was a bright young man. He did not know the English 
language when he came here, but he committed to learn it, and he did 
learn it. Secondly, he was a very affable person back then, just as he 
is now. He made friends very easily, and that helped him make that 
transition. Thirdly, he was a good athlete, maybe even a great athlete. 
In fact, if he could have hit the curve ball he might be representing 
the Florida Marlins today instead of the State of Florida. But it is a 
great way to look at the history of America when we look at the history 
of Mel Martinez and his transition all the way from rural Cuba to the 
Senate.
  But I guess the most important thing I could say about him is what 
has already been alluded to by the assistant majority leader; that is, 
Mel came to the Senate for all the right reasons. He came into public 
service for all the right reasons. He is leaving for all the right 
reasons. I know because of the many conversations he and I have had 
about our families what a dedicated husband he is, what a dedicated 
father he is. He has seen his two older children, Lauren and Jack, come 
up and become very successful in their own right. Now he has Andrew. 
Andrew is a 15-year-old young man who is growing up in Orlando and is 
doing the things all young men do. Unfortunately, his dad is gone 
during the week and is home during the weekends, and that is the time 
when young men like to be with their friends. Mel is missing a lot of 
that. That is the reason he is going back home, and that is the reason 
all of us can stand here and say: Wow, I wish I had the courage to do 
that.
  I had a very similar experience during my days in the House. When I 
ran for the House in 1994, my son was a senior in high school. He 
played football on what ultimately became the State championship 
football team. There was no question from my campaign staff as to where 
I was going to be on Friday night. I was there to see my son. Mel is 
missing the experience of seeing Andrew play on Thursday nights because 
he is here doing what he was elected to do; that is, serve the people 
of Florida. He is going to now have the opportunity to experience with 
Andrew the same sorts of things he did with Lauren and Jack. For that, 
we can say great things about his service to our country, his service 
as mayor of Orlando or as Secretary of HUD, or his service in the 
Senate. But his service to his family is ultimately what is important, 
and, wow, what a public servant he is to his family.
  So to him and his wife Kitty we say we thank you for the great 
service you have provided. We thank you for the great friendships you 
have provided to all of us as Members of this body. Whatever road you 
ultimately travel down in the days ahead, we know you are going to 
continue to be a success. We know you are going to continue to serve 
our country in your own special way. But, most importantly, you are 
going to serve our God and you are going to serve your family.
  So, Mel, thanks for everything you have done. Thanks for your 
friendship. God be with you and Godspeed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I think you know I spend very little time 
talking on the Senate floor, and I plan to keep it that way. But I do 
want to spend a moment paying tribute to my great friend, Mel Martinez. 
I have had the privilege of sitting beside him on the Banking 
Committee. We commiserate about many things that happen in this body.
  I love working with Mel Martinez, and I am going to miss him. I 
consider Mel to be the epitome of decency in this body. I think he is a 
person who truly wants to do what is best for this country. I have seen 
him many times tormented over decisions we all make, which are very 
difficult to decide from time to time: What is best for our country 
over the long term? I value that in him so much.
  I think this body will be diminished with him leaving. Having people 
like Mel, who, again, have such a sense of decency--which is, as 
Senator Chambliss mentioned, one of the reasons he will be departing 
soon--will be a loss for this body.
  I have not met anybody here who I think is a finer individual, nor 
anybody who I will miss more than Senator Mel Martinez. So I am happy 
for Kitty. I am happy for his family. I am sorry for us. But I am glad 
I have served in the Senate with somebody I consider to be such an 
outstanding person as Mel.
  So, Mel, thank you. Thank you for the many confidential conversations 
we have had through the years, the frankness with which we have been 
able to talk about so many things.
  Each of us brings something to this body that is unique. I think that 
is why it functions the way it does. I think your insights into our 
relationships

[[Page 21175]]

with the countries of Latin America, to many of the things that were 
happening there from the inside because of so many of the relationships 
you have has helped all of us make decisions that are more sound.
  So that peace will go with you as you leave. Surely somebody else 
over time will help fill in that vacuum, but I value the many things 
you have shared with me that have helped me to think in a more 
thoughtful manner, and I look forward to talking to you in the years 
ahead about what is happening in your life. I thank you for what you 
have done in mine.
  I thank the Chair.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to give tribute to my 
colleague and friend, Senator Mel Martinez. During his time in the 
Senate, Mel has served the State of Florida and our country well.
  Overcoming great odds, Mel and his life's journey is an inspiration 
to all. At age 15, he fled his native Cuba as part of a Catholic 
humanitarian effort. Alone, and speaking virtually no English, Mel was 
placed in temporary youth facilities. Later, he lived with two foster 
families, for whom he has great appreciation and affection. In 1966, he 
was happily reunited with his own family members in Florida.
  These experiences strengthened Mel and shaped his views. He went on 
to earn graduate and law degrees from Florida State University and 
practice law for 25 years before serving as Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development and then joining us here in the United States Senate.
  During his tenure, I appreciated Mel's leadership, particularly 
working on the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic 
Affairs--a task force I formed in 1987. I have long felt that we should 
not try to put this vital and growing segment of our population in a 
box because they care about the same things we all do--having a safe 
nation, strong families, a good education for all our children, and 
good jobs that provide well. At the same time, I recognized that 
Hispanics and Latinos bring unique and important perspectives to the 
issues we face in Congress.
  Mel worked to advance the mission of the task force to promote 
greater participation in the democratic process, to create more job 
opportunities, ensure better access to health care, and educate our 
children.
  While there is much talk on both sides of the aisle of strategy and 
outreach to try to ``woo'' Hispanics and Latinos, we should actively 
listen to their concerns and encourage their participation. That is 
true of all segments of our population. That is what I have tried to do 
and that is what Mel has done, too. I understand we have Mel's firm 
commitment to continue this important work.
  Our colleague from Florida has taken strong positions on a number of 
issues that have come before this body. Mel has supported prodemocracy 
movements in Cuba while urging that its dictatorship of abuse and 
misery is not legitimized by our government.
  As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Mel has been a strong 
supporter of our war on terror, especially as our brave troops combat 
terrorism overseas for the safety of our Nation.
  Mel has supported a reasonable and rational approach to ensuring our 
Nation's energy security. He has helped to highlight our Nation's lack 
of action to increase our production of nuclear energy--our Nation's 
largest sources of green, clean electricity. He recognizes that our 
domestic electricity supply must be based upon a major source of green 
baseload power, and that nuclear power holds the most potential to 
ensure that the American economy is fueled by an abundant, cheap, and 
clean source of energy.
  Mel has worked with us on health care reform. This is not a 
Republican or Democrat issue--it is an American issue which needs to be 
addressed in a bipartisan and fiscally responsible manner.
  Our colleague has worked to defeat card check because it reduces 
employees' right to a free and private election to choose if they want 
to unionize.
  Mel has sought workable reforms to our system of immigration. He 
spoke out against the negative rhetoric that divided and polarized. He 
will be missed in this body as the immigration debate moves forward.
  I know my friend is looking forward to writing the new chapter in the 
book of his life. I thank him for his service to our country and wish 
him well.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have had a chance today to recognize 
our colleague, Senator Mel Martinez, who, sadly for most of us, is 
leaving the Senate. Today will be his last day. He had an opportunity 
to address the Senate this morning and give some final thoughts. I 
would like to take a few moments to give my final thoughts about 
Senator Martinez. I expect to see him many times in the future as a 
private citizen, but my thoughts about him and his contribution here 
and his life story.
  Obviously, all of us have a story to tell, the story of a journey to 
this place. But in the case of Senator Martinez, the journey certainly 
has more twists and turns than most.
  Mel Martinez first came to this country when he was 15. A political 
exile, he spoke no English, and did not know when--or if--he would ever 
see his family again. His journey from that point to now is proof of 
the boundless promise that exists in America.
  More than 50 years ago in a small town in Cuba, an 11-year-old Mel 
Martinez comforted his little brother as they lay on the bedroom floor 
while gunfire erupted in the streets. It was Fidel Castro's takeover, 
and life changed very quickly for the Martinez family and every Cuban.
  When Mel's parents overheard Cuban militiamen threatening to kill 
their son for wearing a religious symbol, they had had enough. Through 
a humanitarian effort sponsored by the Catholic Church, Mel was sent to 
America to find a better life.
  Eagerly embracing his adopted hometown of Orlando, Florida, soon Mel 
came to feel part of America. He mastered English and earned both his 
bachelor's and law degrees from Florida State University.
  And four long years after leaving Cuba, he was reunited with his 
parents in Florida after they too escaped Castro's regime--and they 
were so proud to see the brave young man their boy had become.
  Because of this long separation from his parents, I can understand 
now when Mel says it is the tug of family ties that calls him back home 
to Florida. But those of us who had the pleasure of working with him in 
Washington are sorry to see him go.
  In the Senate, Mel made his mark as a leading voice for greater 
democratic freedoms in Cuba. He has fought to strengthen Social 
Security and to eliminate fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.
  He has given hope to millions of families by working to increase 
funding for research to cure Alzheimer's. And he has stood for 
America's defense in a dangerous world, and for the troops that so 
bravely take up the fight to defend us.
  For 3 years as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 
Senator Martinez worked to increase home ownership. After the terrorist 
attacks of 9/11, his agency was charged with directing funds to rebuild 
lower Manhattan. He fulfilled his duties even as he, along with all of 
us, reeled at the senseless deaths of 3,000 innocents.
  And as the cochair of the President's Commission for the Assistance 
to a Free Cuba, he played a leading role in the administration's 
efforts to bring freedom to the land of his birth.
  While in Washington, Mel forged many friendships as well. I first got 
to know Mel during his days as a Cabinet secretary. Elaine and I 
certainly enjoyed the company of Mel and Kitty.
  My wife Elaine and Mel had one thing in common. I used to pose the 
following quiz to people: Who were the only Cabinet Secretaries who 
never missed a State of the Union? As everyone knows, it is typically 
somebody in the line of succession who misses the Cabinet meeting 
because the entire government is up here on one night. Mel and Elaine 
never missed a Cabinet meeting because they were the only two members 
of the Cabinet who were

[[Page 21176]]

not born in the United States and therefore were not eligible to assume 
the Presidency if an emergency required that.
  We came to understand Mel's connection to his adopted hometown of 
Orlando, where for 25 years he worked as a successful lawyer. We 
learned how his election as chairman of Orange County--a job analogous 
to a mayor, and in one of Florida's largest counties--started a second 
career in public service to the country that had given him so much.
  Now Mel will return to Florida, and I don't know what his future may 
hold. But I do know that he'll accomplish anything he sets his mind to. 
The incredible journey he has taken, ever since he flew on a DC-6 from 
Havana to Miami, is proof of that. Mel's life shows us that in America, 
any dream is possible.
  Mel, it has been an honor serving with you, and it has been a 
pleasure for Elaine and I to get to know you and Kitty through the 
years. Whenever you may return to Washington next, please remember you 
will always have plenty of friends in the U.S. Senate.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell and to 
express my gratitude to Senator Mel Martinez as he retires from service 
in the U.S. Senate. During his time here, he established an admirable 
reputation for hard work, dedication to his State and our Nation, and a 
commitment to principles.
  I have had the privilege of working with Senator Martinez as a member 
of the Armed Services Committee and its Seapower Subcommittee. In 
addition, we worked together on the Special Committee on Aging, where 
he has served as ranking member.
  Working with Senator Martinez has always been rewarding. This has 
been especially true on the Armed Services Committee, where he brings 
to bear on defense issues both detailed knowledge and long-range 
vision. On the Seapower Subcommittee, he has been a strong ally in 
keeping our Navy pre-eminent and has been a highly effective advocate 
for continuing the DDG-1000 program, the next generation of destroyers.
  Senator Martinez's work on the Special Committee on Aging continued 
his long record of shaping policies important to seniors in Florida and 
throughout America. From local government to his service as Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development and in the Senate, he has been a 
strong voice for ensuring that all Americans live longer, healthier, 
and more productive lives.
  But the greatest legacy Mel Martinez leaves the Senate is his 
inspiring life story. Born in Cuba, he arrived in America at age 15. He 
earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University, 
and went on to practice law for 25 years. He demonstrates the highest 
qualities of our nation of immigrants, of the opportunities America 
provides, and of the character and determination of those who come to 
our shores. His desire to continue to work for expanded freedoms to the 
people of Cuba exemplifies his character and principles. I join my 
colleagues in wishing him and his family well, and in looking forward 
to many more contributions to the public good from this man of many 
gifts and accomplishments.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize and thank my 
colleague and friend from Florida, Mel Martinez, for his service to 
this country and to wish him luck in the years to come. I am proud and 
humbled to have had the chance to work with Mel over the last few years 
on some of the most difficult and trying issues of our time and I will 
miss his honesty, heart and dedication when he leaves the Senate this 
week.
  While many of my Senate colleagues are familiar with Mel's inspiring 
personal story I feel that it is important for the American people to 
know that Mel Martinez's life has personified the American dream and 
teaches us what we can all accomplish through hard work, a love of God 
and country and true dedication to a higher cause. Mel came to the U.S. 
in the 1960s as a young Cuban immigrant and became the first Cuban-
American to serve in a Presidential Cabinet, as Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development, and then the first Cuban-American U.S. Senator.
  As a freshman Senator, Mel didn't shy away from the tough issues--he 
did not sit back and let others tackle the tough, controversial tasks--
he dove in head first. Personally, the most memorable example of Mel's 
courageous work is his support of comprehensive immigration reform.
  The 2006 and 2007 immigration debates were difficult times in the 
U.S. Senate. We had both political parties and an American public 
divided on an issue that I still believe will define the future of our 
country for generations to come. For many, it would have been tempting 
to sit on the sidelines, take the safe votes, keep your head down and 
just wait for this one to pass, but not Mel Martinez. He took his 
strong personal convictions and put them into action. We spent many 
hours together, working in a bipartisan fashion to try to reach an 
agreement that could be acceptable to both sides of the aisle and 
ensure the security of our Nation. Every day, Mel Martinez was in the 
trenches, on the floor, working to improve the bill, working to reach a 
bipartisan compromise and working for a better future for our country 
and our children.
  I also had the pleasure of traveling with Mel to the Republic of 
Georgia where he met with Georgian leaders and spoke openly about the 
importance of United States support for freedom in all countries, both 
those distant and close to our shores. Mel spoke with conviction due to 
his early childhood spent in a country controlled by a repressive 
dictator.
  Many in this Chamber will fondly recall Mel's leadership in the 
Senate and his work for the State of Florida. I will remember my 
friend, his courageous leadership on the tough issues and his 
willingness to put the future of our Nation before his own self 
interest.

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