[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 516-517]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


       CONGRATULATING THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL TEAM

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 331.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 331) congratulating the Florida State 
     University football team for winning the 2014 Bowl 
     Championship Series national championship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I am going to take advantage of the fact 
that the Senator from Alabama is here, because we are bringing forth 
today a resolution which will pass by unanimous consent, if the 
Senators from Alabama will so agree. The fact is that it was a 
marvelous national championship game. Whichever won, it was obvious 
that one was going to be No. 1 and the other one, as it turned out, was 
going to be No. 2, as it should have been, in the entire national 
collegiate football program.

  I want to tell the Senator how much I admire his university, Auburn 
University, and that it is my privilege to

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speak on behalf of Florida State University, and there is no question, 
I knew that whoever ended up with the score by the end of the game, 
they were the national championship team and, lo and behold, did that 
score go back and forth. With a little over a minute left, Florida 
State, led by their Heisman Trophy winning-quarterback, took it down 
the entire length of the field. It was a sight to behold. I just wanted 
to say those words while the Senator from Alabama was here.

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I think it is a remarkable achievement. 
Some people think our young people are not willing to work, not willing 
to discipline themselves, but those two teams played their hearts out. 
They did not get there working at it a few weeks ago. They worked all 
year in the weight rooms and studying, preparing themselves to reach 
this high level of excellence that delivered a thrilling game for us 
all. Florida State is a terrific team. I think everybody knew Auburn 
was going to have to be really up to speed to be able to compete--and 
they were able to. The Senator is right, and I am pleased to note that 
our Heisman Trophy winner this year is a native of Hueytown, AL. We 
will claim credit for that too.

  Mr. NELSON. I concede that.

  Mr. SESSIONS. Auburn drove down the field on that last drive, having 
to score to win the game, and just pounded away and Tre Mason ran down 
there and ran over somebody and scored the touchdown. But you are a 
Heisman Trophy-winning team, and all of you pulled together and came 
back and won with a few seconds to spare. It was spectacular. You well 
deserve the right to recognize them by resolution. I certainly will not 
object.

  I will add one more thing. Had Auburn won, it would have been the 
fifth consecutive year Auburn or Alabama had won the national 
championship. We would have liked to have seen that happen, but 
congratulations go to Florida State. They deserved to win, and they 
played well enough to win and did win.

  Mr. NELSON. This Senator is wearing a garnet and gold tie. I noticed 
the Senator from Alabama is wearing a crimson tie, but certainly his 
allegiance is orange and blue, I take it?

  Mr. SESSIONS. Orange and blue. I celebrate them. I did have my Auburn 
tie on the day of the game. But I love Alabama; it is a fabulous 
program. I spent 3 years there and remain a big fan. I am maybe one of 
the few people in the State who really, truly had a divided allegiance 
about whom to be for. Those are super universities.

  I would say to Senator Nelson, as I shared with him, I am really 
impressed with the University of Florida where my grandson had some 
great surgery done by the finest doctor in the world, I believe, for 
the condition he had. He has done so well. I know both of us are proud 
of the great institutions in our State.

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, this resolution awaits unanimous consent 
by the Senate, which I assume will occur today. We tried it for last 
Thursday night before the Senate adjourned, but I think everything has 
been cleared now. The resolution will commemorate the fact that Florida 
State is now the BCS champion. Senator Rubio and I have submitted the 
resolution. It commends the university for the 34-to-31 championship 
game, which the Senator from Alabama and I have just talked about. It 
caps a remarkable season of 14 and 0 for the Seminoles, led by head 
coach Jimbo Fisher and his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis 
Winston.

  This Senator will concede to the Senator from Alabama that he is 
originally from Hueytown, AL--which is not too far north of the Florida 
line. So, for all the players, the coaches, the students, the staff and 
indeed the fans--all of those of Florida State have made the university 
and the entire State of Florida very proud by winning this game in such 
an exciting, hard-fought and well-fought game.

  I am grateful to our Senate colleagues for helping to agree to this 
resolution today.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action 
or debate.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

  The resolution (S. Res. 331) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')




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