[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17333-17334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FAREWELL TO THE SENATE

  Mr. JOHANNS. I wish to start by saying I so appreciate the kind words 
by Senators McCain, Chambliss, and Isakson. I see there are others in 
the Chamber who may weigh in and offer a thought or two. I can't 
express how much I appreciate it.
  I would like to offer a few thoughts--my farewell thoughts--today.
  I rise, first, to convey a very deep and sincere appreciation to the 
people of a really great State, the State of Nebraska. They have 
entrusted me with the high privilege and the solemn responsibility of 
representing them in this body.
  I am honored to have served as a Senator from Nebraska, and I hope 
and pray that I have done so in a manner that upholds the high 
standards that Nebraskans have rightly established for their elected 
office holders.
  If I could turn back the clock 32 years I would do it again--from my 
first day as the county commissioner, throughout my service as a 
Lincoln City Council member, as mayor of our capital city, Lincoln, as 
the Governor of Nebraska, in President Bush's Cabinet, and now as a 
Senator. No doubt about it, if I could turn back the clock, I would 
just do it again.
  I am so grateful for the trust placed in me and the support of so 
many people who have made this service possible.
  Let me start with the top of the list, and that would be my family. 
My wife, Stephanie, has been an incredible pillar of support.
  One of my best friends refers to her as ``spirited.'' That would be 
an understatement. She is a true partner. She has given her whole heart 
to public service--both her own service as a State senator and as a 
county commissioner when we first met--and to mine.
  I thank my children, Justin and Michaela, who are now grown up. They 
have their own families. We have five beautiful grandchildren. They 
have been a source of true joy and pride. They too have cheerfully 
supported me despite the sometimes long hours and the missed 
birthdays--I could go on and on. It cut into that dad and grandpa time.
  I offer a special word of thanks to the hundreds or thousands of 
volunteers whom I could never thank individually. They went out there, 
pounded the yard signs, walked the precincts, worked the phone banks, 
and they probably wrote checks when the bank account was pretty low. 
Their belief in me is what has been inspiring in those campaigns.
  Another group of people near and dear to my heart are my current and 
former staff, campaign or government related. We have always called 
ourselves Team Johanns. It is an extended family and for good reason. 
Their hard work, their commitment, and their professionalism enabled me 
to represent and serve our great State and our country.
  I have not only been truly blessed by the privilege to serve, but I 
have been blessed by the privilege of meeting some very extraordinary 
people.
  In my various roles I have been with world leaders, spiritual heads, 
cultural icons, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers, Queens, 
and Kings--all memorable experiences to be sure. But I will say they 
are not the extraordinary people I speak about today. My real 
inspiration comes from ordinary people whom I have observed and watched 
do remarkable, extraordinary things.
  Each year for the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of selecting 
a Nebraska family to be honored as ``Angels in Adoption.'' Each year 
their stories of unconditional love show the limitless capacity of the 
human heart.
  One family, the Welchels of Harrisburg, NE, went from two children to 
seven. They adopted five children, all with special needs, but their 
selflessness did not stop there. They created a camp where these very 
special kids could share life's journeys. How powerful is that?
  I have learned that heroes walk among us daily whose courage is 
revealed in split-second decisions, and in that split second they put 
the lives of others in front of their own.
  Two Nebraskans did exactly that in 2012. A school bus had collided 
with a semitrailer on a rural road near a community called Blue Hill, 
NE. These individuals, Ron Meyer and Phil Petr, arrived on this 
horrific scene. They bravely ran onto that burning bus and

[[Page 17334]]

pulled five children to safety. A witness who was there at the scene 
expressed absolutely no doubt those five children would have perished, 
as others sadly did, if not for the remarkable courage of Ron and Phil.
  I have been so moved beyond words by my conversations with the 
parents of our fallen men and women in uniform. I would call them to 
offer them my condolences, and I have found their strength to be so 
astounding. To a person, they speak with such passion about love of 
country and pride in their loved one's service, despite sorrow. They 
honor their children with their patriotism. They honor their children 
with their fortitude. Their grace through incomprehensible grief 
inspires immeasurable gratitude. May God bless them and all of the 
families of the fallen.
  Walking the streets of a tornado-ravaged community--and I have done 
that too many times as Governor and as a Senator--I saw ordinary people 
doing extraordinary things.
  One stands out especially in my mind. I watched in amazement as Kim 
Neiman, the Pilger, NE, city clerk, attempted to take care of every 
conceivable need of every single resident following a devastating 
tornado that literally leveled this Nebraska community.
  Her tireless advocacy, her raw determination was focused entirely on 
the community she loved. She had virtually no regard for her personal 
loss. You see, her home was destroyed, and her life was turned upside 
down by this tornado as well. But for Kim, community came first.
  These are good people, and there are so many more like them. They 
inspired me, and they have motivated me to search for solutions to 
break through partisan rancor that too often dominates this government.
  But they also fuel my optimism for the future. You see, I believe 
that America's strength is in the fabric of which we are woven. The 
threads of this fabric include both the character of our people and the 
wisdom reported in our Constitution.
  It is a very strong and very durable fabric that withstands the 
overreach of any one President and the misguided policies of any one 
administration.
  That is why I look back, not with any regret--I would do it all over 
again--but with gratitude. There were victories won during my time 
here, and I am pleased to have lead some of those charges. But I have 
to admit many battles remain.
  I would be dishonest if I denied some feelings of frustration about 
the absence of the will to address issues of paramount importance to 
our country, but I know that no issue is powerful enough to shred the 
fabric of this great Nation. Rather, these challenges are overpowered 
by the ordinary people who do extraordinary things, by the character of 
our people, and by the wisdom of our Founders. So I reject the prophecy 
of hopelessness.
  As the challenges we face grow more urgent--and they will--so grows 
the collective fortitude to address them, and I believe that is about 
to intensify.
  On January 3, I will officially pass the baton to Senator-elect Ben 
Sasse, and I wish him the best. With the 114th Congress, there will be 
a new day in this Chamber, a new majority, and a lot of new faces. I 
hope they embrace the new opportunities to exemplify true 
statesmanship.
  Although confidence in our Nation's ability to solve problems may be 
shaken, I still believe ordinary people can do extraordinary things--
even here in Washington, DC. May God guide those efforts and may God 
bless this great country, the United States of America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader.

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