[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18133-18140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING SENATORS


                             Joe Lieberman

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in a few days, the Senate will no longer 
benefit from the service of a member who has left an indelible mark on 
national security policy and on the Senate. Senator Joe Lieberman has 
been my colleague and friend for more than two decades. We have shared 
triumphs and challenges, agreed and disagreed with one another, and 
each of us has served as a member of a committee the other chaired.
  One challenge we have shared is the need to strengthen our nation's 
manufacturing sector, the economic backbone of our two states and 
indeed of the nation. Senator Lieberman has served as chairman of the 
Senate Manufacturing Caucus, which has benefitted greatly from his 
energy and leadership. He has been a dedicated supporter of the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which helps U.S. manufacturers 
strengthen and grow in the face of international competition. In this 
work, Senator Lieberman has been an ally of Michigan working families.
  Of course, Senator Lieberman and I have worked together on the Armed 
Services Committee, where he has been an active, thoughtful, principled 
and energetic member and subcommittee chairman. Senator Lieberman 
joined the committee in 1993, and from the start, he made an impact. He 
was the author of what came to be known as the Lieberman Amendment to 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997, directing 
the Department of Defense to conduct a Quadrennial Defense Review. This 
review has become an integral part of our nation's defense planning, 
encouraging the Pentagon, Congress and all who contribute to defense 
strategy to confront tough questions about strategy, capabilities and 
resources.
  Over several years as chairman or ranking member of the Airland 
Subcommittee, Senator Lieberman has played an influential role in 
oversight of important modernization programs. His constant attention 
and leadership has helped the Army push through the challenges of 
acquiring and fielding the truly networked tactical force our nation 
needs, and of modernizing its helicopter force. He has provided close 
oversight of aircraft programs such as the F/A-18E and F, F-22, F-35 
Joint Strike Fighter and the new KC-46 aerial refueling tanker.
  Of course, the committee has grappled with a number of difficult 
policy questions over the last two decades, from the need to repeal 
``don't ask, don't tell'' to the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. Senator Lieberman was the original sponsor of the legislation 
that repealed ``don't ask, don't tell'' and he played an important role 
in shepherding this legislation through the Armed Services Committee 
and the Senate. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Senator Lieberman 
on these issues, it's impossible to doubt his thoughtfulness and his 
dedication to finding the right solutions for our nation.
  Senator Lieberman is my chairman on the Homeland Security and 
Government Affairs Committee. I'm privileged to chair that committee's 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where a small but incredibly 
talented and dedicated staff has made immense contributions to consumer 
protections, government oversight and our defenses against financial 
wrongdoing. I am deeply grateful for Senator Lieberman's support for 
our subcommittee's work.
  We also have worked closely on the committee's efforts to protect 
Americans from potentially catastrophic releases from chemical 
facilities. I was a co-sponsor on legislation he authored with Senator 
Collins to address that threat, and I am thankful for his leadership in 
putting in place these vital protective standards. Senator Lieberman's 
work has also included badly needed reform of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster; 
improving our cybersecurity protections; and improving our defenses 
against disease pandemics.

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  The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is also 
where Senator Lieberman has accomplished what is likely his most 
lasting work: reform of our homeland security and intelligence 
communities in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
  Reforms of this scope by necessity have many authors, but certainly 
Senator Lieberman's role was at the forefront. His leadership was 
instrumental in passage of legislation creating the Department of 
Homeland Security, and in achieving vital reforms to the structure and 
practices of our intelligence agencies in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. 
These were sweeping, once-in-a-generation reforms, and Senator 
Lieberman was tireless in his advocacy for them.
  In these and so many other ways, Senator Lieberman leaves an 
important and lasting legacy as he prepares to leave the Senate. He is 
a trustworthy confidant and I shall miss him. Barbara and I wish Joe 
and Hadassah every happiness as they embark on their next adventure 
together.


                             Olympia Snowe

  Mr. President, it is an unfortunate reality that the number of people 
in Washington working for bipartisan solutions is significantly smaller 
than the number of people claiming to do so or proclaiming the need to 
do so. Nearly everyone seeks the ``bipartisan'' label; fewer wear it 
comfortably or practice bipartisanship regularly.
  That is one reason I am sad to see Olympia Snowe leave the Senate. 
Over three terms, Senator Snowe has represented the people of Maine 
with intelligence and, yes, moderation. Here's how Time magazine put it 
in 2006, in naming Senator Snowe one of the nation's 10 best senators: 
``Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan 
point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every 
policy debate in Washington.'' And I've been lucky to observe her work 
in those debates.
  Start with her work on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
Committee, where she has served both as chairman and ranking member. As 
a member of the committee, I have appreciated her dedicated advocacy 
for small business. She has worked hard to support SBA's Microloan 
program and programs for women owned businesses. She has helped improve 
SBA's trade and export finance programs; elevated the SBAs Office of 
International Trade and add export finance specialists to the SBA's 
trade and counseling programs; and established the State Export 
Promotion Grant Program, designed to increase the number of small 
businesses that export goods and services.
  Senator Snowe also has been an enthusiastic supporter of our nation's 
manufacturers. As a former co-chair of the Senate Task Force on 
Manufacturing, she has worked to strengthen programs such as the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which helps American manufacturers 
research and develop new technologies, increase efficiency, improve 
supply chains and out-innovate our overseas competitors. American 
workers from Maine to Michigan and beyond are better off for her 
support of this vital sector of the American economy.
  Beyond manufacturing, our states are linked in another way: the 
historical lighthouses that dot our shores. I was pleased that Senator 
Snowe joined me in offering the National Lighthouse Stewardship Act, 
which would help local governments or nonprofit groups preserve these 
prized structures for the appreciation of generations to follow.
  I was also fortunate to serve with her on the Armed Service 
Committee, where she served as Chair of the Seapower Subcommittee. She 
was a strong advocate for the men and women of the Navy and Marine 
Corps, and worked diligently to ensure that the Department of the Navy 
had the people and hardware the Navy needs to defend our nation's 
interests.
  On these and other issues, Senator Snowe has worked across party 
lines for the good of her constituents and our nation. But I can think 
of no issue that better demonstrates her ability to reach beyond 
partisan interest than one of the most controversial issues of our time 
together here: the Iraq war.
  I worked with Senator Snowe and a bipartisan group of senators who 
believed the status quo in Iraq was no longer acceptable and who worked 
together to chart a new course.
  We joined together to advance our collective view that the primary 
purpose of United States strategy in Iraq should be to pressure the 
Iraqi political leadership to make the compromises necessary to end the 
violence in Iraq while accelerating the training of Iraqi troops to 
take responsibility for their own security.
  We made clear that the open-ended commitment of U.S. forces to Iraq 
was over, thereby undermining the al Qaeda narrative that we were there 
as occupiers and signaling to the people and Government of Iraq that 
the time for political reconciliation had come.
  As Senator Snowe rightly pointed out at the time, ``The Iraq 
government needs to understand that our commitment is not infinite. 
Americans are losing patience with the failure of the leadership in 
Baghdad to end the sectarian violence and move toward national 
reconciliation.'' She continued, ``It is imperative that Congress 
understands the importance of placing the future of Iraq's independence 
in the hands of those who should want it most--the Iraqi people and 
their government.''
  As members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator 
Snowe and I also worked as part of the Committee's effort to 
investigate the misuse of pre-war Iraq intelligence by policymakers.
  Senator Snowe's support for the investigation and its findings, in 
the face of strong criticism from some in her own party, was important 
to bring transparency to the decision to go to war in Iraq and will 
help to ensure the American public is not similarly misled in the 
future.
  Senator Snowe recently took another principled stand, in what will 
likely be her last vote as a member of the Intelligence Committee, when 
she was the only Republican member to vote to adopt the Committee's 
report on the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program. That report 
definitively shows that torture is not effective in eliciting 
intelligence and will hopefully significantly influence how our nation 
deals with the detention and interrogation of those we capture in the 
future.
  Olympia Snowe's service has been of enormous benefit to the people of 
her state. She is rightly respected in this chamber, and around this 
country, as a leader who has not just talked a good game when it comes 
to bipartisanship, but has followed words with action, often at the 
cost of no little political discomfort for her. To the very end of her 
tenure here, she has fought, as she put it just last week on this, ``to 
return this institution to its highest calling of governing through 
consensus.''
  I want to thank her for the many ways in which she has supported 
programs important to Michigan, and for the thoughtful approach she has 
brought to the many challenges we have faced together. As she returns 
to Maine, I wish Olympia and Jock every success in whatever endeavors 
may come. And I hope we can take to heart Senator Snowe's wise words as 
we seek to answer the challenges before us.


                              Scott Brown

  Mr. President, I want to give my thanks to Senator Scott Brown, who 
leaves the Senate at the end of this session. I have not had the 
privilege of working with Senator Brown for as long as I have worked 
with many of the other Senators who are concluding their service here. 
But I am grateful for his work as a member of the Armed Services 
Committee, and for his support for some of the important reforms that 
helped put a cop back on the beat on Wall Street.
  Scott's road to the Senate was not easy. Like all too many American 
children, he was the victim of abuse by those who were obligated to 
care for him. Senator Brown overcame great odds to become a United 
States Senator--odds that had little to do with politics. He is an 
example of our power to achieve despite great challenges, and we can 
all learn from that example.
  Senator Brown was one of a handful of members who crossed party lines 
to

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support the Dodd-Frank Act, which provided vital reforms of the 
financial sector in order to help prevent a repeat of the financial 
crisis that crippled our economy. He and I disagreed on several 
important provisions of the act, and we disagree in many ways on how it 
can best be implemented. But his vote was very important to its 
passage.
  As a servicemember for more than three decades, including a 
deployment to Afghanistan, Senator Brown has brought a valuable 
perspective to the Armed Services Committee. He has spoken eloquently 
of the need to honor our Nation's solemn obligation to our troops, our 
veterans and our families. He has advocated for the National Guard and 
supported significant policy changes that are important for our 
servicemembers, such as supporting victims of rape or incest and repeal 
of ``don't ask, don't tell.'' I thank him for his contributions to the 
committee's important work in fulfilling its obligation to 
servicemembers and their families.


                              Daniel Akaka

  Mr. President, now that the 112th Congress will soon be coming to a 
close, the Senate will be able to take a moment to acknowledge and 
express our appreciation to those members who will be retiring when the 
gavel brings an end to the current session. One member who has had a 
great impact on so many of us on a personal basis is Daniel Akaka.
  Danny, as I have come to know him, has been one of the strongest and 
most loyal parts of our Senate Prayer Breakfast. That regular gathering 
that many of us attend gives us an opportunity to come together to 
share our faith and discuss the difference it has made in our daily 
lives.
  No one has played a more important role in those weekly meetings than 
Danny. His faith has brought him through some very difficult situations 
in his life and it has also helped him to pursue policies and programs 
that have made a difference in more lives than we will ever know.
  When Danny was in the House he was the song leader. His understanding 
of the importance of music helped him to better express his faith. He 
led our singing of our hymns by providing us with the history of each 
song as he explained the meaning of the words that were used to bring 
its message to life. His faith also showed itself with his work on a 
sailing ship that helped to bring missionaries around the Pacific to 
share their faith with those who might otherwise have never heard such 
stories.
  Danny is a veteran of World War II. His experience during the war 
gave him an understanding of the sacrifices our veterans made during 
their service and the importance of ensuring that we as a nation take 
good care of them and address their medical needs.
  That is why one of Danny's great accomplishments here in the Senate 
has been his efforts on behalf of his fellow veterans. Whenever an 
important bill was taken up and passed, Danny immediately got to work, 
trying to determine the impact each bill would have on our veterans and 
how any negative impacts could be addressed and reversed. Just as we 
owe our veterans a great debt of gratitude for their service, veterans 
everywhere have a special place in their hearts for everything Danny 
has done over the years to protect and preserve the benefits they have 
earned with their service.
  In addition to his great faith and his concern for our Nation's 
veterans, Danny also brought to the Senate his love of Hawaii and its 
great culture and history. It was a gift he shared with us over the 
years that increased our awareness of Hawaii's past and the great 
traditions of his home State.
  Through the years Danny has made a reputation for himself here in the 
Senate as a careful, thoughtful legislator who works quietly but 
effectively. The good work he has done on a number of issues has had an 
impact that will continue to be felt for many years to come.
  Thank you, Danny, for your service both here in the Senate and in our 
armed forces. You can be very proud of all you have achieved. You have 
represented your State very well. Thank you most of all for your 
friendship and for sharing your faith and the impact it has had on your 
life. You will be missed and not just by those of us in the Senate who 
have enjoyed having a chance to come to know you. You have been a great 
friend to our Nation's veterans, too, and they will always remember 
your commitment to them.


                              Scott Brown

  Mr. President, now that the 112th Congress is coming to a close, the 
Senate will have an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of those 
Senators who will be returning home at the end of this session of the 
Senate. One Senator I know I will miss in the days to come is Senator 
Scott Brown.
  Looking back it is hard to believe that Scott has only been a member 
of the Senate for about 3 years. He has had an impact on our day to day 
deliberations over those years that far outweighs the time he has been 
a Member of the Senate. That speaks volumes about his ability to make 
the best use of his resources so that he could have an impact on those 
issues that concern the people of his home state.
  When Scott was elected to the Senate he became the first Republican 
Senator from Massachusetts to have made it here in more than 30 years. 
For me, that is proof of the kind of candidate Scott was and the 
effectiveness of the campaign he ran.
  His success in what was a very difficult race proved that Scott is a 
natural politician. He has a remarkable ability to grasp the core of 
the issues before the Senate and determine their possible impact on the 
people back home. He understands the people back home and he knows how 
they think and how they feel about the issues before the Senate. 
Equally important, Scott is able to explain those issues in simple, 
easily understood statements that stick in the minds of the people who 
hear him. He has a way with words that helps to win people over.
  When Scott came to the Senate people were not sure what to expect. 
Was he going to tend to follow one Party or the other exclusively? No. 
Scott took up each issue individually, measuring them all with the 
yardstick of his principles and his determination to be an effective 
representative of the people of Massachusetts who sent him to 
Washington. It was not going to be easy, but Scott proved himself to be 
well up to the task.
  As soon as he arrived, Scott found himself in the thick of a number 
of legislative battles. He took on each issue carefully and 
thoughtfully which thoroughly confused all those who thought they had 
Scott all figured out. Scott proved to be an independent individual who 
was determined to do everything he could to make a difference in 
Massachusetts and in Washington. He soon proved he was able to do all 
of that and so much more.
  For 3 years, Scott has been an important addition to the day to day 
life of the Senate. I have no doubt we have not heard that last from 
him. He only needs to take a moment to see what he is interested in 
taking on in the next chapter of his life. He has a wealth of talent 
and ability and more importantly, he genuinely cares about the future 
of our Nation and all of the people who make up his home State and our 
Nation. There is a lot of opportunity out there for Scott and I know he 
will take full advantage of it.
  Thanks, Scott, for your service. Thanks for working so hard to get 
here, and once you did, thank you for never doubting in your ability to 
make a difference. You have helped to make changes both here and back 
home in more ways than you will ever know. Thank you, too, for your 
friendship. For 3 years you have been a strong and powerful advocate 
for the future of Massachusetts and you can be very proud of all you 
have achieved during your time in the Senate.


                                Jon Kyl

  Mr. President, it is a tradition in the Senate to take a moment at 
the end of the session to express our appreciation for the service of 
those Senators who will be retiring at the end of the year. This year 
it seems that we have quite a few retiring Senators who will be greatly 
missed because of the important role they have played in our leadership 
on both sides of the aisle. Such

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a Senator is Jon Kyl. I know we will miss him, his willingness to work 
with all of his colleagues, and his understanding of the issues and the 
need for us to come together to address them.
  Jon Kyl may very well be one of the smartest individuals I have ever 
met. More importantly, he is not just highly intelligent, he also has 
an abundance of wisdom. That means he not only knows what is right--he 
does it! Putting knowledge into action is always the toughest part of 
the equation.
  Here in the Senate, Jon has taken on a combination of assignments 
that most members would have found impossible. Jon not only served as 
our Party ``Whip'', but he also helped to direct our efforts with his 
great understanding of the many details that form such an important 
part of every issue we take up in the Senate.
  Jon has been such a great asset for our party because his focus is on 
the details of every issue that comes before the Senate. That is why, 
more often than not, when a complex matter is up for our consideration, 
many of us want to know what Jon thinks and what his recommendation 
would be. His insights have always been an important part of many of 
his colleagues' consideration of what each of us should do to further 
the interests of the people of our home States.
  One thing everyone who has spent some time with Jon knows about him 
is his great love for NASCAR. In fact it is more than just an 
appreciation--I don't think there are many who understand it with the 
depth that he does. He not only knows the stats, but he has a great 
feel for how each race played out, the strategy that was employed and 
the significance of the results. The way he describes ``how the game is 
played,'' the rules, and the key players in every race is enough to get 
anyone interested in attending the next event. NASCAR ought to make him 
their ambassador. He would increase interest in it right away. He had 
done a lot to make me a fan, too!
  Politically, Jon is a staunch conservative. In fact, I am sure if you 
look up ``staunch conservative'' in a reference book it will refer you 
to their article about Jon. Jon's great talent makes him the perfect 
example of what a conservative is, and his knowledge serves to 
highlight the positions and issues that are important to all 
conservatives.
  Something else that we have all come to know and appreciate about Jon 
is the strength of his faith and his belief in the importance of the 
family. One of his first considerations when we took up any legislation 
was how will this affect our Nation's families? It was that important 
to him. I can not imagine a better starting point for our discussions 
and deliberations.
  Thank you, Jon, for your willingness to serve. You have made a 
difference in more ways than you will ever know. In the months to come, 
I will miss seeing you around the Capitol building. I will also miss 
having the benefit of your advice and counsel--though I intend to keep 
your number handy. What I will miss the most, however, is your 
friendship. Keep in touch with us. We will always appreciate hearing 
from you.


                               Jim DeMint

  Mr. President, one of our traditions here in the Senate is to take a 
moment as the current session of Congress draws to a close to 
acknowledge and express our appreciation for the service of all those 
members who will be leaving when the gavel brings to a close the 112th 
session of Congress. I know we will miss them all--especially those 
like Jim DeMint who have played such an important role in the work we 
do every day in committee and on the floor.
  I know I wasn't the only one who was surprised to learn that Jim 
DeMint was leaving the Senate to become the president of the Heritage 
Foundation. It is a great opportunity for him, and I know he will make 
the most of it in the years to come. We will miss him, though, because 
in a short time he had become an important voice in the Senate for the 
issues that meant a great deal to him.
  Looking back, I have no doubt that Jim learned at an early age that 
the law is a great teacher and by coming to Washington to help draft 
our laws he could help to teach people all across the Nation what it 
means to be a citizen. He could also help to ensure that our government 
responds more fully and substantively to the needs of the people of our 
Nation. I think that is what most interests him about the Heritage 
Foundation--the knowledge that it will be another opportunity and 
provide him with a different platform from which he can continue to 
have an impact on those issues that mean so very much to him.
  Over the years I have come to know Jim as he has taken his place as 
one of a very few who have been known as the conscience of the Senate. 
He is an individual of strong principles and core values and he brings 
his sense of direction to the work of the Senate every day.
  As I have watched him in action, I have seen his ability to bring our 
attention both carefully and forcefully to the flaws in the legislative 
matters we had taken up for deliberations. In everything we did, Jim 
would take a close look at the wording of each clause and every 
proposed amendment and make it clear to us the reasons why he believed 
something needed to be changed. Then as we began our debate, he would 
then present his points with greater clarity and substance as he made 
clear his strong opposition to or support for the issue that was before 
us.
  His views on how the Senate functions and how we could make it more 
effective and more efficient are clearly presented and strongly 
espoused in his books. I have no doubt that Jim's books could change 
the Senate if we could get every one of our colleagues to read them, 
consider them and then put some of his ideas into practice.
  Thank you, Jim, for your willingness to serve and for all you have 
helped us to accomplish during your time in the Senate. You have 
presented us with some strong, bold ideas about our future as a nation 
and I have no doubt they will continue to have an impact on the Senate 
for a long time to come. Thanks for sharing them with us.
  The new adventure you will now begin with the Heritage Foundation 
sounds like a challenge you will fully enjoy. I know we will continue 
to hear from you in your new post and we are looking forward to it. You 
have an important viewpoint to bring to our deliberations and it would 
be missed if you didn't continue to make your thoughts and concerns 
known. We will be watching and listening for your comments and 
suggestions in the days to come. Good luck and keep in touch!


                               Herb Kohl

  Mr. President, now that the 112th Congress is coming to a close, we 
have an opportunity to acknowledge and express our appreciation for the 
service of our fellow Senators who will be retiring at the end of the 
year. Herb Kohl, one of those who will be returning home when the gavel 
brings to a close the current session of Congress, will be missed, for 
he has been very active and involved in the day-to-day work of the 
Senate for many years.
  My first contact with Herb came about when I found out that he had a 
ranch in Wyoming. I shouldn't have been surprised. As I have had a 
chance to come to know him, it seemed pretty clear that he had a lot of 
Wyoming in him. He is a gentleman and a gentle man in every sense of 
those words. He says what he means and he means what he says. For him, 
those words aren't cliches, they are an indication of the way he lives 
his life.
  I know I am not the only one who thought that about Herb. That is why 
he has a well-earned reputation for being a calm, thoughtful 
legislator. He has a knack for taking on a problem, giving it his full 
attention, and then working with members on both sides of the aisle to 
develop a workable solution to solve it. That is why he has been so 
successful on a number of issues.
  Herb's ability to patiently pursue an agenda, and then focus on a 
solution that would receive the support necessary to pass, has been a 
hallmark of his service. Never one to seek out public attention for his 
efforts, he has been rewarded with something far more important: the 
knowledge that he has done a good job. His commitment to the future of 
his home State and our

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Nation has made it possible for him to have an impact on several issues 
of great importance to people from every corner of the United States.
  Herb has been such a successful legislator in part because of his 
small business background. He understands better than most the 
important role our businesses play in our local, State and national 
economies. He is a man of vision who put his great talents into action 
when he helped to take the family business to the next level. His 
success in that effort helped to put him on a path that made it 
possible for him to do some things that a lot of us only dream about.
  One of those great dreams he was able to make come true was his 
ownership of a professional sports team, the Milwaukee Bucks. There had 
been some speculation that the team might be bought and moved out of 
Milwaukee. Herb made sure that wouldn't happen. He bought the team and 
kept them in Milwaukee, and the people of Wisconsin appreciated his 
efforts to keep the home team--at home.
  None of that would have been possible if not for Herb's ability to 
organize his time so that he could make the best use of that precious 
commodity. That has been one of his greatest assets in the Senate, too. 
Back home, his constituents know that he is a thoughtful person who is 
interested in them and is always on the watch for those things he can 
do as their Senator to make their day-to-day lives better.
  His constituents have greatly appreciated his work in Washington on 
their behalf, and that is why they returned him time after time so he 
could keep doing such a good job of representing them. Herb has 
compiled an important record that he should be proud of because it 
reflects his commitment to the future of his home State and our Nation.


                               Ben Nelson

  Mr. President, at the end of each session of Congress, as is our 
tradition, we take a moment to express our appreciation and acknowledge 
the many contributions each retiring Senator has made to the day-to-day 
work of the Senate. We will miss them when the gavel brings to a close 
the 112th Congress--especially Senators like Ben Nelson who have made 
an important difference during their service.
  Since he is from Nebraska, Ben is a neighbor to my home State of 
Wyoming and he understands more than most the inherent problems and 
challenges faced by rural America. The people of Wyoming, Nebraska and 
the West have taken on a rugged way of life and it shows itself in 
their independence, their unique spirit and their great love of their 
community and their country.
  Ben's upbringing and his ties to his State of Nebraska gave him an 
important understanding of the issues that surround our rural way of 
life. He took an active role in the Senate's work on agriculture and 
energy issues because he understands how great a concern they are back 
home.
  Ben learned at an early age that he could make a difference if he 
worked hard and dedicated himself to the people of his State. It was a 
plan of action he put into everything he has ever done in life.
  It helped him to make a successful run for governor, after which he 
decided to run for the Senate. He knew it wouldn't be easy, and it 
wasn't, but when the votes were counted he had won an important Senate 
seat and was headed here to represent his beloved home State.
  Soon after he began his Senate career he cast a vote to lower 
everyone's taxes. That took courage. In the years since then, he has 
shown that he has a lot of that important quality in abundance.
  Since we are neighbors and share an appreciation and understanding of 
rural America and our unique way of life, it shouldn't come as a 
surprise that we have a great deal in common. We both love our great 
outdoors and there are places in Nebraska that are almost as beautiful 
as Wyoming.
  We both love to hunt, and Ben has had some very interesting 
opportunities to pursue his hobby all over the world. My hunting has 
all taken place in Wyoming. Because of our love of hunting and my great 
affection for fishing, Ben and I co-chaired the Sportsmen's Caucus. We 
have also worked together on a number of issues related to the great 
outdoors. They are matters that mean a lot to us and to our 
constituents back home.
  Thanks, Ben, for your service and for your determination to make the 
position of your constituents known here in Washington. You have made a 
difference in many ways and you can be very proud of your legacy of 
service. Thanks, too, for your friendship. I have enjoyed coming to 
know you. Whatever you have planned for the future, I hope you continue 
to enjoy the great adventure of your life.


                                Jim Webb

  Mr. President, as we have all learned, it doesn't always take a 
lifetime of service to make a difference, especially here in the 
Senate. Jim Webb is one of those unique individuals who had an impact 
here although he only served for one term before deciding to retire. I 
know I will miss him and his great support for our Nation's military 
and his heartfelt concern for our Nation's veterans.
  As I have had the opportunity to come to know Jim a little better, it 
is clear that he is a man of strong convictions. As we say in the West, 
he is someone who means what he says and says what he means. He walks 
his talk.
  When he first arrived in Washington he made it clear he wasn't going 
to be someone who could be taken for granted, especially when it came 
to those things in which he strongly believed. He put his home State of 
Virginia first and he was going to work hard to ensure that the 
concerns of the people back home were heard--and heard clearly--
whenever an issue was taken up that was going to have an impact on 
them.
  A Vietnam veteran himself, he had a great interest in national 
security issues. His determination to make a difference in that area 
became very clear right from the start. Serving on the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee he worked very hard to ensure that our veterans were 
able to access the benefits they had earned with their service.
  Jim is a good writer and he has several books to his credit. They 
have received a great deal of notice and one of his stories has been 
made into a movie.
  I know I join with many of my colleagues in wishing him all the best 
as he returns to Virginia. I don't know what his next great adventure 
will be, but I do know his skills and talents will provide him with a 
number of opportunities to choose from in which he can continue to play 
an active part in his State.
  Thank you, Jim, for your willingness to serve--not only here in the 
Senate but in our Nation's military. The recognition you earned with 
your efforts will continue to inspire others. Because of you our 
Nation's veterans have had a champion in committee and a warrior on the 
Senate floor who did everything you possibly could to ensure our 
veterans would never have to settle for anything less than the best. 
They have earned that and so much more with their service, their many 
sacrifices on our behalf and their unsurpassed love for our country.


                             Jeff Bingaman

  Mr. President, at the close of each session of Congress, the Senate 
has traditionally taken a moment to express our appreciation for the 
service those who are retiring have provided to the people of their 
home State and our Nation. It gives us an opportunity to acknowledge 
the contributions that every Senator makes to the day to day operations 
of the Congress and the work they have been a part of as we have worked 
together to craft the laws that govern the Nation.
  Over the years I have learned a great deal about how the Senate works 
and how to be an effective representative for the people of my home 
State from one of the best, Jeff Bingaman. He has compiled quite a 
record that he can be very proud of, and he has done it quietly, almost 
behind the scenes as he has shown himself to be ``a workhorse and not a 
showhorse.''
  For those of us from the West, that is quite a compliment. In a 
nutshell, it means that someone is a lot more concerned with getting 
results than in getting the credit. It proves the old saying

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that you can get just about anything done if you don't care who gets 
the credit for it.
  When I first arrived in the Senate, I had always believed in the 
importance of getting acquainted with how things work by taking a close 
look at how the people who were getting the results I was equally 
committed to achieving were doing it. Using that as my standard, one 
Senator who caught my attention quickly was Jeff Bingaman.
  Jeff is a fellow Westerner and he knows and understands the issues 
that are so important to the people back home. As I watched him in 
action, I could quickly see why he was a success story here. He had a 
reputation for his ability to work with both sides of the aisle to get 
the results the people of his home State had sent him here to achieve. 
He had an understanding of the ramifications of the legislation we were 
working on that was second to none. Taken together, all of that had 
helped to make him an important ally in any legislative battle that 
needed to be won.
  As I got to know him, I looked to him for his leadership on the 
issues that were on the minds of the people back home in Wyoming. He 
was taking the lead on a number of them as he worked to increase the 
awareness of our colleagues about matters like open spaces, water and 
the future of our energy industry.
  Over the years, Jeff has been a mentor to me. I have learned a great 
deal from him from our work together on Western issues and from our 
service on the task groups we both worked on. Jeff has an ability to 
summarize a difficult issue simply so that it can be understood on a 
number of levels by those of us who come from backgrounds that are 
quite different from Jeff's and all our Western colleagues. He was then 
able to propose commonsense solutions that not only made sense to our 
fellow Senators, but were also able to obtain the support they needed 
to be considered and passed by the Senate.
  That would have never been possible if not for one of Jeff's great 
gifts--his ability to find common ground in the midst of some sharp 
disagreements. He knows how to take the views of all concerned into 
account and then develop a plan of action taking a variety of 
viewpoints into consideration. Somehow he had a knack for finding a way 
to make it all work.
  None of that should have surprised us. After all, Jeff has one 
credential on his resume that not everyone has the persistence and 
determination to acquire. Jeff was active in Boy Scouts at a young age 
and with a lot of hard work and determined effort, he was able to reach 
the rank of Eagle.
  Some people might be surprised that I mention Jeff's Eagle, a great 
achievement that he was able to attain so many years ago. I have found 
that the Eagle speaks volumes about the strength of someone's character 
as they grew up. It proves that they were focused on more important 
things--like setting goals and then planning a course of action to 
reach them--one by one. There is no more valuable skill to have in the 
pursuit of a career and the development of a life than that.
  During his service in the Senate, Jeff has compiled a record of which 
he can be very proud--as proud as the people of New Mexico are proud of 
him. That is why they kept sending him back to the Senate. It is also 
why his record of service will continue to receive the notice it 
deserves as the issues he has worked so hard on will have an impact on 
the West and the Nation for many years to come.
  I don't know what Jeff's plans are for the future, but I feel certain 
we haven't heard the last from him. I hope he will continue to keep in 
touch with all of our Western delegations. I am certain we could all 
use a little New Mexico wisdom from time to time on the issues that 
come before us that are of such great concern to the West and rural 
communities all across the country.
  Thank you, Jeff, for your service to New Mexico and to the United 
States. We appreciate your willingness to come to Washington to ensure 
the concerns of your State were heard and that they received the 
attention they deserve. Thanks most of all for your friendship over the 
years. I have learned a great deal from you and about you and I know 
the lessons I have learned from you about the Senate and our Committee 
structure will continue to make me a more effective advocate for 
Wyoming and the West. Whatever the next chapter of your life holds in 
store, I know you will give it your best--just as you have done with 
every other great adventure in your life.


                          Kay Bailey Hutchison

  Mr. President, now that the campaigns are over, the elections have 
been held, and the Senate is winding down its current session, I 
appreciate having this opportunity to express my great appreciation to 
those Senators who have had a great impact on me and our work together 
in the Senate. Such an individual is Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has had 
a remarkable career as the Senator from the great State of Texas.
  Senator Hutchison and I go back quite a way--in fact, we go back to 
the days before I was elected to the Senate. That was when I had just 
beat the odds and managed to receive the nomination of my party to the 
Senate. A great part of the reason for my success had to do with the 
support I received from my family and the enthusiasm we put into 
everything we did that year. It really had an impact throughout the 
State during the primary season. Now that the primary was over, 
however, the real battle was about to begin.
  I knew, as soon as I was nominated, that I had a problem. I was 
running against a very strong candidate, a woman with a wealth of 
experience in politics who had already waged and won a statewide race. 
I had no doubts that we could still win, but I wasn't kidding myself 
that it would be easy, either.
  Fortunately, I had a secret weapon--Kay Bailey Hutchison. She agreed 
to come to Wyoming and campaign with me. That was a tremendous blessing 
because she had a natural feel for politics and she more than made up 
for my lack of experience in running a statewide campaign. She gave me 
a lot of good advice and we took it all. Then we set out on the 
campaign trail and that is where she really proved to be an asset.
  Each stop we made Senator Hutchison showed that she was a natural 
politician. People responded to her and the way she spoke during our 
events. She made it clear that she was a hard worker who said what she 
meant and meant what she said. Her Texas style played well in Wyoming 
and it really made a difference for me.
  Then, when I came to Washington to begin my work in the Senate, I 
watched her take on some pretty difficult issues. She had a talent for 
seeing the best solutions to those complicated problems and that helped 
her to make a difference in her home State and here in Washington.
  What most impressed me was her ability to see a problem as it was 
developing and then formulate a strategy to deal with it before it 
became any more difficult. She was very focused on the needs of her 
home State and what she could do here in the Senate to make sure that 
the issues of most concern to the people of Texas were addressed.
  Back home, Senator Hutchison has always been concerned about our 
young people and what she could do to ensure they realize they can be 
anything they want to be if they are willing to work hard to succeed. 
That is why the young women of Texas look up to her and see her as a 
model of what they can also hope to someday achieve. That led her to 
publish a collection of stories about successful women. Senator 
Hutchison knows that a good biography is more than a source of 
inspiration, it is a very specific ``how to'' manual that young women 
all across the country can look to for inspiration, guidance and 
direction on how they can hope to achieve the same kind of success in 
their own lives.
  Senator Hutchison has a remarkable family and I know that she is very 
proud of them. Not too long ago, she and her husband decided to adopt a 
child. They wound up adopting not one, but two children who are blessed 
to have two such special parents. It's just

[[Page 18139]]

another example of the way Senator Hutchison has been reaching out to 
help those who need her in so many ways over the years.
  Senator Hutchison has blazed a trail in so many ways during her 
career in public service. She was the first woman ever elected to the 
Senate from Texas, and during her service she has helped young women 
all across her home State of Texas to realize that there are no limits 
to their future. They can be anything they want to be if they are 
willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, just as Senator Hutchison 
has done. She is not just a role model, she is an example of what is 
possible for everyone to achieve.


                              Kent Conrad

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as the work of the Senate for the current 
session of Congress begins to wind down, it is good to take a moment to 
acknowledge and express our appreciation to our friends and colleagues 
who will be retiring when the final gavel brings to a close the 112th 
Session of Congress. One friend I know I will miss in the months to 
come is Kent Conrad.
  Kent is a hard worker, a Senator who is fully focused on the needs of 
his home State and the work that needs to be done to address the issues 
of concern to his constituents. He is a Senator who will always be 
known as a serious and thoughtful legislator who has a good sense of 
how today's problems will affect tomorrow's bottom line if we don't act 
now to bring our economic policies under control.
  Throughout his career, Kent has never been one to look for the most 
popular way of doing things. He was more concerned with finding the 
most productive way of doing things. He knows that what looks like a 
good idea in the short term doesn't always lead to producing the kind 
of long term results we must have if we are to strengthen our economy 
and put the Nation back to work. He has a great sense of what needs to 
be done now to ensure our children and grandchildren will have the same 
advantages that we had. That means never putting off until tomorrow 
what we ought to be doing today to ensure those issues are addressed. 
In fact, when Kent announced his decision to retire he made mention of 
that fact and how his time would be better spent working instead of 
campaigning.
  Kent has been a part of the Senate for four terms--and I am on my 
third. Over the years I have enjoyed having a chance to come to know 
him and his wife. They are a very special couple and they are equally 
committed to each other and to the future of our Nation. Their shared 
determination to make this a better country for all of us has helped to 
make them a team that has left their mark on the Nation's capital.
  I have had a chance to travel with them both and Diana and I have 
enjoyed the time we spent together. Kent has a tremendous sense of 
humor and he has a very interesting outlook on the world. He knows more 
about the legislation we take up on the Senate Floor than almost anyone 
else and his understanding of how our bills are written and the impact 
they will have on our future and our children's future make him someone 
you would want to be on your side when the battles begin to rage in 
Committee or on the Floor.
  Kent is pretty easy to work with and I have enjoyed the opportunities 
we have had to tackle some pretty difficult issues together. That sense 
of humor of his has helped him out on a number of occasions when the 
going got tough. I know, because I have seen him in action as we worked 
together on several bills. I also co-chaired a Caucus with him.
  As the Chairman of the Budget Committee, Kent has really revealed his 
leadership abilities. The Budget Committee provided him with a platform 
that made it possible for him to speak out on issues that were of great 
interest and concern to him. He has been a very effective Chairman and 
he has left a legacy of hard work and positive results that will 
provide all those who follow him with a good road map to follow that 
has already proven to be effective.
  The main thing I think I will always remember about Kent, however, is 
the way he prepares for his presentations. I don't think there has ever 
been, nor will there ever be a Senator who is always so well prepared.
  Kent and I both appreciate the power of a well designed chart or 
graph. If you really want me to understand how the policy or program 
you are offering will affect my home State of Wyoming and the Nation as 
a whole, show me the data in pictures not words. Kent makes a regular 
habit of doing that, and he does it better than just about anyone else.
  I know that we will be hearing more from Kent in the months to come. 
I don't think he views his retirement as an opportunity to stop 
working, I think he sees it as a chance to take on something new, some 
great and challenging new adventure in his life. I don't know what he 
has planned, but I am looking forward to seeing him take it on day by 
day.
  Kent has been a friend to so many of us over the years and I know he 
will be missed. We appreciate his service, we thank him for the way he 
handled the gavel in his Committee, but most of all we thank him for 
his friendship, for his love of the Senate and his determination to 
make the country a better place for us all--both current and future 
generations. Kent has been an effective Senator for his home State and 
in so many ways he has succeeded in helping to make North Dakota and 
our Nation a better place to live.


                             Richard Lugar

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, at the end of each Congress the Senate has a 
custom of taking a moment to express our appreciation to those members 
who will be returning home when the gavel brings the current session to 
a close. This tradition provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge 
each Senator's efforts and take note of the difference they have made 
both back home and here in Washington, DC.
  One Senator I know I will miss in the months to come is Senator 
Richard Lugar. He has had a great influence on my service here in the 
Senate. During his six terms of service in the Senate, I know I'm not 
the only one who learned a great deal from him about how to be the kind 
of legislator that gets results.
  I was fortunate to have had someone like Senator Lugar reach out to 
serve as a mentor to me. When I first arrived, my experience in the 
Wyoming State Legislature had taught me to enter the legislative 
battles slowly, taking the time to learn from the seasoned veterans how 
to be an effective advocate for my home State and the people back home. 
Senator Lugar proved to be a good choice for me to observe as I tried 
to pick up on his way of doing things on the floor and in his 
Committee.
  I soon learned that Senator Lugar had a style all his own. His 
demeanor of being quiet and calm in his dealings with other members and 
the thoughtful presentations he made on the Senate floor made it clear 
that he always had a strategy in mind as we took up those issues that 
meant a great deal to him.
  I shouldn't have been surprised he had such a good understanding of 
the right way to do things here. It's an indication of one of his great 
achievements--he's a fellow Eagle Scout. That great training he 
received in his younger days never left him. His years in the Boy 
Scouts prepared him for the challenges he had taken on over the years 
and it taught him the importance of teamwork--bipartisan teamwork--in 
taking on the issues that were of such great concern to the people of 
his State. His experience with the Scouts taught him a great deal about 
life and the importance of holding on to the principles and values that 
helped to make him a leader back home and here in the Senate.
  Another aspect of our lives that we have in common is our service as 
mayor. There are few jobs quite as difficult as that and I have a great 
deal of respect for anyone who takes on that challenge.
  I served as mayor of Gillette, Wyoming during a difficult time in its 
history. Senator Lugar served as mayor of Indianapolis. He brought 
quite a few good proposals with him and that helped to make it possible 
for him to do some pretty remarkable things. One

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accomplishment that stands out was his consolidation of the city and 
the surrounding county. That helped to make the government work better 
for the people of the area. His proposals received a great deal of 
attention and that got his administration noticed. It soon led him to 
bring his unique brand of leadership to the National League of Cities, 
where he served as its president.
  After such a string of successes, it was only natural that he then 
bring his vision for the future of our Nation to the United States 
Senate. For six terms he has been a strong voice for the people of his 
home State on a long list of issues that were of great concern to them. 
He has been a leader in both the areas of foreign affairs and 
agriculture. He has been a great friend of rural America as he has 
worked to ensure that the programs and policies that work so well in 
urban areas also benefit rural States and communities like those in his 
home State and mine. He has compiled a legacy during his service in the 
Senate that should make him very proud.
  Now Senator Lugar will be returning to his beloved home State. Those 
are his roots and it represents the kind of experiences that helped to 
form him over the years. It was a life that made him what he is today--
strong, independent and committed to doing what is right.
  Now that this chapter of Senator Lugar's life has come to a close, 
another will soon begin. That is just as it should be for we will miss 
his leadership on a long list of issues. I hope we continue to hear 
from him with his thoughtful ideas on the direction we need to follow 
to turn our economy around.
  I know I join with our colleagues in thanking Senator Lugar for his 
service, for the leadership he has provided on more issues than I could 
ever list in this short reflection on his many years in the Senate, and 
most of all, for his friendship. That was a great gift that meant a 
great deal to us all.


                             Olympia Snowe

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it has long been a Senate tradition to take 
a moment as the current session of Congress draws to a close to express 
our appreciation and acknowledge the many contributions each retiring 
Senator has made to our legislative deliberations both on the Floor and 
in committee. We will miss them when the gavel brings to a close the 
112th Congress--especially senators like Olympia Snowe who have made an 
important difference during their service.
  With Olympia's retirement Maine has lost a very powerful and 
effective legislator and our Nation's small business community has lost 
the support of a great champion. Throughout her service in the Senate 
Olympia has shown her great understanding of our economy and her 
commitment to keeping our small businesses strong and vibrant. She 
knows that our small businesses are truly the backbone of our 
economies--on the local, State and national level and everything we can 
do to keep them going strong will have the greatest impact on our 
efforts to keep our American dream alive and available to the people of 
our great Nation.
  Olympia has very strong roots in Maine and she has an in depth 
understanding of the priorities of the people of her home State and 
what they expect her to work on here in Washington. That is why she has 
a well deserved reputation for being a thoughtful and careful 
legislator, one who looks closely at all the details of a bill before 
making her decision, based on its merits.
  I don't think I've ever met a Senator who was a more avid reader than 
Olympia. Whenever the Senate takes up an issue, she is always looking 
for more materials to read that will help her develop creative and 
innovative solutions to our Nation's problems.
  Then, when the matter comes up for our review in Committee or on the 
floor, she has at the ready several articles that will drive home and 
anchor the point she is making. No one is better at researching an 
issue than Olympia and then, when the matter is up for debate, making 
it clear what she believes to be the best way to tackle the problem. No 
matter the topic, it's always a plus to have her on your side.
  In the years to come, I will always remember Olympia's dedication and 
firm resolve to get things done. As we worked together on several 
issues, it was clear she had a wealth of knowledge about how each 
provision of a bill would play out. She brought some very good ideas to 
the process and her input helped to make each bill better.
  Olympia had always been known as a powerful and effective speaker. 
Someone with the ability to not only present her position with clarity 
and precision, but who could also persuade others to her point of view 
with her common sense approach to problem solving. Those skills and so 
many more helped her to make a difference throughout her home State of 
Maine during her career in public service. In the end, that is why she 
was so successful in the politics of her home State. The people of 
Maine know Olympia and they appreciate her efforts on their behalf. 
Over the years Olympia has compiled a record of success of which she 
can truly be proud.
  I know I join with the people of Maine in telling Olympia how much we 
appreciate her willingness to serve. She could have followed so many 
different career paths, but she was determined to make Maine a better 
place for our children and our grandchildren. Thanks, too, for her 
friendship and her support on the issues on which we worked together. 
Olympia is an individual of great strength and firm convictions and 
will be missed in the months to come.
  I don't know what the Senator has planned for the next great 
adventure in her life, but whatever it is I am certain we haven't heard 
the last from her. We will always be pleased to hear her thoughts about 
the issues we have before us here in the Senate.

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