[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO LLOYD ATOR

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, it is my very great pleasure to pay 
tribute to one of the great treasures of the Senate, Mr. Lloyd Ator. 
Lloyd is retiring after 17 years as the legislative counsel for the 
Commerce Committee, and 11 years in the Senate Legislative Counsel's 
Office. Lloyd has been a truly outstanding public servant, and his 
service has made our country a better place.
  Given the breadth of issues within the committee's jurisdiction, the 
legislative counsel is required to be something of a Renaissance man. 
Fortunately, that is a perfect description of Lloyd. He has been 
required to know the underlying law in so many areas, from the 
Olympics, to daylight savings time, railroad rates, aviation security 
screening, cellphone use, science standards, fisheries management, 
maritime liability, commercial privacy, and satellites. To draft 
concise, thoughtful, and technically accurate bills on this range of 
issues, as Lloyd has done, requires unparalleled skill, expertise and 
dedication. Lloyd is also a parliamentary expert and served as an 
outstanding resource for committee members. Even when every other 
committee did away with their own legislative counsels, the Commerce 
Committee was determined to keep Lloyd, knowing that his unique 
capabilities made him our ``secret weapon.''
  Not only is Lloyd an experienced drafter, he is a man of unflagging 
spirit. One of Lloyd's most remarkable qualities is his unwavering 
patience. No matter how many times he was asked to rewrite an amendment 
or edit a draft, he never once rolled his eyes or expressed 
frustration. He continually responded calmly and patiently, offering a 
word of humor at just the right moment. His humorous comments on drafts 
of bills are legendary on the committee.
  Lloyd has become a bulwark on the committee, respected by colleagues 
and Members on both sides of the aisle. As a trusted adviser, he has 
always maintained the utmost level of confidentiality, even while 
drafting competing bills. Despite this position of privileged 
knowledge, Lloyd has always remained discreet and has earned the 
respect of all with whom he has worked. Lloyd is someone that both the 
Members and the Commerce staff have come to rely on, time after time. 
It has been largely through Lloyd's hard work, patience, and extensive 
legislative knowledge that the Commerce Committee has been able to 
produce such high quality legislation for the past 17 years. He has 
played an important role in every major piece of legislation the 
committee has considered for the past decade and at the close of the 
last century.
  Lloyd is an incredibly humble man and has never been one to seek 
recognition, which is part of why I am so pleased to honor him today. 
Lloyd's retirement signifies a great loss to the committee and to the 
Senate. As sad as we are to see him go, I know that he is looking 
forward to spending more time with his family, his dog, and on many 
more trips to France. It is with sincere thanks from a grateful 
committee that I wish him nothing but the best in the years to come. We 
have all been made better by his contribution, his presence, and his 
example. He is an institution and his extraordinary service is as much 
a part of Commerce Committee lore as the Enron investigation or the 
deregulation of telecom. He is an institution we are extremely proud of 
and will always honor. We will strive to live up to his example.

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