[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22002]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS


                            George Voinovich

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wish to say a brief word about George 
Voinovich. I have watched him for many years. He has an outstanding 
record. He is a Senator from the State of Ohio who came to Washington 
with as many credentials as anyone could have: a member of the State 
legislature, the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio, mayor of the 
city of Cleveland, and now a U.S. Senator. He has a wonderful family.
  The thing George Voinovich brought to Washington a lot of people 
don't recognize because of his quiet manner is his work ethic. He gets 
up very early every morning and works on what is necessary in the 
Senate. He studies the bills. He is aware of the issues that are before 
the Senate on any given occasion. Nothing gets past him. He always is 
up to date on everything we are doing.
  I haven't agreed with Senator Voinovich on lots of different issues, 
but he has a quality that we all need to have: You never have to guess 
where he stands on an issue. He will always tell you how he feels. That 
has been a tremendous help to me. There have been occasions when his 
vote has been so very important for, I believe, the Senate, the State 
of Ohio, and certainly the country. He always tells you how he feels, 
what he is going to do, and once he makes up his mind that is what he 
is going to do. I admire him very much.
  I have had such good feelings about people coming from Ohio. I had 
the good fortune to serve here when John Glenn, a man we all know, one 
of America's all-time great leaders. Ohio produces very good people, at 
least from my experience in the Senate--Senator Metzenbaum, and now 
Sherrod Brown with us. I will not run through a list of everyone.
  I certainly want the Record to reflect, prior to Senator Voinovich's 
final speech today, how much I respect him as a legislator and as a 
person. I appreciate his friendship and hope in the years to come we 
can still work together on issues for the country.

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