[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17082-17083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING SENATORS


                              Scott Brown

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I would like to continue the 
difficult task of saying goodbye to Senators who will not be with us in 
the next Congress. Sadly, that includes Senator Scott Brown of 
Massachusetts.
  Senator Brown came to us already something of a political legend. In 
just a few short years, he leaves behind an outsized legacy. We all 
remember how Scott rose to national prominence in the election 
literally heard about around the world. After the death of Senator 
Kennedy, there was an open seat in Massachusetts and a special election 
to fill it. Few people even entertained the thought of a Republican 
winning. And for good reason. Few States are as synonymous with 
political liberalism.
  Democrats outnumber Republicans in the State 3 to 1, and the entire 
congressional delegation is composed of Democrats. But supported by his 
wife Gail and their daughters, along with some key early allies, 
including our own Senator McCain, Scott appealed to the State's 
political independents, ran a flawless campaign, and won. As he put it 
on election night, he beat the odds and the experts, and the people 
became the machine. I think the 2006 GMC Canyon that Scott drove around 
during the election should actually go to the Smithsonian.
  We all remember that night, and, in particular, Scott's acceptance 
speech. Most people focus on what he said about his daughters, but the 
speech itself was a masterpiece. It perfectly summed up the political 
moment, and it captured something essential about Scott's success; that 
is, the notion that no politician has a right to his or her seat; that 
we are all here to serve our constituents.
  Every day I hold this office, Scott said, ``I will give all that is 
in me to serve you well and to make you proud . . . [and] most of all, 
I will remember that while the honor is mine, this Senate seat belongs 
to no one person and to no political party, and as I have said before, 
and you said loud and clear today, it is the people's seat.''
  Scott lived up to his promise. He captured the imagination of the 
entire country when he corrected David Gergen by telling him the so-
called Kennedy seat was, in fact, the people's seat. He carried that 
message straight to Washington.
  I remember Scott telling me in our very first meeting that I could 
not count on his vote, that I would have to earn it. I told him he 
could do whatever he pleased. While he has not been here long, he has 
certainly made his mark. I have seen a lot of politicians in my day, 
but few have been as talented as Scott Brown. He is a unique talent. I 
have no doubt we will see him back in Washington someday in the not too 
distant future.
  The truth is, Scott's victory was not the first time he had done what 
others thought impossible. As a young man, he knew poverty first hand, 
and a broken home, and even took to shoplifting

[[Page 17083]]

to feed himself and his sister. Yet Scott overcame these early 
challenges. As is often the case, he owes a lot of it to an adult who 
saw his potential early on.
  In Scott's case, that adult was Judge Samuel Zoll. When Scott showed 
up in his chambers one day, Judge Zoll saw a troubled but decent young 
man who needed a friendly nudge.
  ``We had a long talk about [the] talent I thought he had, and I 
didn't want to see him squander it,'' Judge Zoll later recalled.
  Scott, of course, remembers it a little differently, saying the judge 
``verbally kicked [his] butt.''
  The judge ordered Scott to write a 1,500-word essay about 
disappointing his family. After reading it, he told Scott he would give 
him a break this time, but if he ever stole anything again--anything--
he would be sent to jail. Judge Zoll's lesson stuck so deeply that the 
two men remained friends until Judge Zoll's death last year.
  Scott went on to be a baseball star in high school and in college, 
earning the nickname ``Downtown Scotty Brown.'' That was for his 
accuracy with a 3-point shot. Then he went to law school, the Army 
National Guard, held city and State political office, where he was 1 of 
just 5 Republicans in a body of 40 in the State senate and then the 
U.S. Senate.
  Senator Brown also famously found time to do a little modeling in his 
youth, and it was through this work that he met his wife Gail. I have 
had the pleasure to get to know Scott and Gail well over the last 3 
years. They have two daughters and make an absolutely wonderful family. 
I am sure Gail, Ayla, and Arianna are very proud of Scott and just as 
sad as I am to see his tenure cut short. But they should be proud of 
the fact that Scott has accomplished a lot in 3 short years in the 
Senate.
  He led the charge to repeal a burdensome withholding tax that hurt 
small businesses. He crafted legislation for crowdfunding, which 
allowed job creators to raise startup funds for their businesses over 
the Internet with less redtape, and he introduced legislation to ensure 
that children's hospitals have access to discounts on orphan drugs that 
are used to treat rare diseases. All of these bills are now law.
  As a 32-year member of the National Guard, Senator Brown takes a 
special interest in our men and women in uniform and their families. He 
introduced legislation to give businesses incentives to hire veterans, 
who, sadly, have higher unemployment rates than the national average. 
He introduced and saw to passage legislation creating the Office of 
Service Member Affairs to protect troops who are often targeted by 
financial fraud and scams. He saw to the passage of legislation making 
it easier to void government contracts with businesses found to be 
funneling taxpayer resources to terrorist groups. He fought for 
National Guard members and their families to receive their fair housing 
allowance when deployed overseas.
  Although his work in the Senate has come to an end, I am sure Scott 
Brown's work in public service, in whatever capacity, will not. He is 
still a young man with a bright future ahead of him. I, for one, am 
very much looking forward to seeing how he uses his talents next.
  From the statehouse to the Senate, from the modeling shoot to the 
basketball court, Senator Scott Brown has always made his own success. 
I do not think he knows any other way.
  Scott, it has been an honor serving with you. You not only made 
history, you made a difference. You should be proud.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 
15 minutes in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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