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Craig Thomas 

LATE A SENATOR FROM 

WYOMING 

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MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

AND OTHER TRIBUTES 

HON. CRAIG THOMAS ÷ z 1933–2007 

HON. CRAIG THOMAS ÷ z 1933–2007 

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Craig Thomas 


36028.002
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2007

S. DOC. 110–5 

Memorial Addresses and 

Other Tributes 

HELD IN THE SENATE 

AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

TOGETHER WITH A MEMORIAL SERVICE 

IN HONOR OF 

CRAIG THOMAS 

Late a Senator from Wyoming 

One Hundred Tenth Congress 

First Session 

÷ 

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Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

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[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Biography .................................................................................................. v 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 54 

Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee ............................................... 27 

Allard, Wayne, of Colorado ........................................................ 20 

Barrasso, John, of Wyoming ..................................................... 104 

Baucus, Max, of Montana .......................................................... 79 

Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico ................................................ 29 

Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri ............................................. 57, 92 

Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky ....................................................... 55 

Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia ............................................. 63 

Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia ................................................... 32 

Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi ................................................... 58 

Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota .................................................. 72 

Collins, Susan M., of Maine ...................................................... 100 

Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota ................................................. 50, 84 

Cornyn, John, of Texas .............................................................. 42 

Craig, Larry E., of Idaho ........................................................... 38 

Crapo, Mike, of Idaho ................................................................ 62, 91 

Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina ........................................... 103 

Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico ....................................... 22, 80, 90 

Dorgan, Byron, L., of North Dakota ......................................... 43 

Durbin, Richard, of Illinois ........................................................ 68, 69 

Ensign, John, of Nevada ............................................................ 99 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................ 6, 92, 97, 105, 106 

Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin ............................................ 71 

Feinstein, Dianne, of California ................................................ 59 

Grassley, Chuck, of Iowa ........................................................... 101 

Gregg, Judd, of New Hampshire ............................................... 19, 96 

Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska ........................................................ 26 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 61 

Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas ............................................... 46 

Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma ................................................ 12 

Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia ...................................................... 17 

Kerry, John F., of Massachusetts ............................................. 105 

Kyl, Jon, of Arizona ................................................................... 65, 76 

Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana ............................................... 34 

Lincoln, Blanche L., of Arkansas .............................................. 48 

Lott, Trent, of Mississippi ......................................................... 40 

Lugar, Richard G., Indiana ....................................................... 24 

Martinez, Mel, of Florida ........................................................... 18 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky .............................................. 3, 67, 98 

Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska ....................................................... 56 

Murray, Patty, of Washington .................................................. 63 

Nelson, Bill, of Florida ............................................................... 67, 91 

Obama, Barack, of Illinois ......................................................... 58 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada ....................................................... 5, 6, 69, 98 

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Page 

Proceedings in the Senate:—Continued 

Tributes by Senators—Continued 

Roberts, Pat, of Kansas ......................................................... 45, 87, 90 

Rockefeller, John D., IV, of West Virginia ............................... 73 

Salazar, Ken, of Colorado .......................................................... 36 

Schumer, Charles E., of New York ........................................... 75 

Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama ......................................................... 66 

Shelby, Richard C., of Alabama ................................................ 74 

Smith, Gordon H., of Oregon ..................................................... 83 

Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine .................................................... 77 

Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania ................................................ 101 

Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan ................................................. 72 

Stevens, Ted, of Alaska ............................................................. 14 

Thune, John, of South Dakota .................................................. 70 

Voinovich, George V., of Ohio ................................................... 98 

Warner, John, of Virginia .......................................................... 52 

Whitehouse, Sheldon, of Rhode Island ..................................... 70 

Wyden, Ron, of Oregon .............................................................. 97 

Proceedings in the House of Representatives: 

Tributes by Representatives: 

Cubin, Barbara, of Wyoming ..................................................... 109 

Memorial Services .................................................................................... 113 

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[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

CRAIG THOMAS was Wyoming’s senior voice in the U.S. 

Senate. His efforts in job creation and economic growth were 

the foundation of his work to improve the quality of life for 

people in rural America. During his tenure in Congress, he 

forged a distinguished legislative record on issues as diverse 

as public land management, agriculture, fiscal responsibility, 

and rural health care. 

In 1989, after years of involvement in public policy and 

rural advocacy, CRAIG THOMAS won a highly competitive special election to replace Dick Cheney in the House of Representatives, when Cheney was appointed Secretary of Defense. Mr. THOMAS was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 

1994, and to a second term in 2000 by an overwhelming 74 

percent majority—one of the largest margins in Wyoming 

election history. He was re-elected to a third term in 2006 

with 70 percent of the vote. 

In the U.S. Senate, Senator THOMAS built a solid reputation as one of the most fiscally conservative Members of Congress with a particular emphasis on addressing quality of life 

issues facing families in the rural American West. Senator 

THOMAS positioned himself on committees which had the 

greatest impact on the legislation of concern to Wyoming. 

The THOMAS record includes authoring, as chairman of the 

National Parks Subcommittee, landmark legislation to provide critical funding, and management reforms to protect 

America’s national parks into the 21st century. As a result, 

his visionary legislation has helped to ensure quality visits 

to our national parks. In addition, the legislation serves to 

protect natural and cultural resources, and direct new resources to our Nation’s parks system. Senator THOMAS’s efforts have been routinely recognized by the National Parks 

and Conservation Association who honored him with their 

‘‘William Penn Mott Jr. Park Leadership Award’’ and subsequently with the National Parks Achievement Award. 

As a senior member of the Senate’s influential Finance 

Committee, he made his mark on issues such as Social Security, trade, rural health care, and tax reform. As cochair of 

the Senate Rural Health Caucus, Senator THOMAS worked 

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successfully to improve health care opportunities for rural 

families. His legislative initiatives have been instrumental in 

reforming and strengthening the rural health care infrastructure by encouraging greater equity with urban counterparts, better affordability of services, and by attracting qualified health care professionals. 

CRAIG THOMAS was raised on a ranch near Cody, but made 

his home in Casper for more than 20 years. He attended 

public schools and graduated from the University of Wyoming in Laramie with a degree in Agriculture. After college, 

he served 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He has served 

as vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau and general 

manager of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association. Before 

his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, he held office for 5 years in the Wyoming State Legislature. CRAIG is 

survived by his wife Susan Thomas, a public school teacher 

for special needs students, and his four grown children, 

Lexie, Patrick, Greg, and Peter. 

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MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

AND 

OTHER TRIBUTES 

FOR 

CRAIG THOMAS 

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Proceedings in the Senate 

TUESDAY, June 5, 2007 

PRAYER 

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following 

prayer: 

Let us pray. 

Eternal Lord God, whose love upholds and sustains us, 

thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the faithfulness of the people we see each day. Today, we think of our 

Senators who labor for liberty. Thank You for their dedication. Thank You, also, for our doorkeepers, who use exceptional diplomacy to assist the visitors who seek to view the 

legislative process. Thank You for our Senate pages, who remind us that we can excel in serving even in life’s morning 

and that You are honored by youthful enthusiasm. 

We express our gratitude for the many staffers who serve 

with unsung heroism behind the scenes. Bless all who serve 

You faithfully and whose work helps make our lives meaningful. 

Lord, we pause this morning to remember our friend and 

colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. Console us, console his 

family, and console his staff during this time of grief. We 

pray all this in Your comforting Name. Amen. 

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, a visitor to the 

rodeo in Cheyenne, WY, just last summer would have seen 

a strong, confident, 73-year-old man holding the reins under 

a cowboy hat riding past the grandstand with a smile. A few 

weeks earlier, visitors to rustic Cody, WY, would have seen 

the same tough cowboy riding down Sheridan Avenue in the 

Cody Stampede Parade. Just a few days ago, a tourist here 

in Washington, getting an early start on the monuments, 

could have seen CRAIG LYLE Thomas racing off 395 near the 

14th Street Bridge in another kind of Mustang on his way 

to the Capitol for a hard day’s work. 

In recent years, CRAIG THOMAS led an effort here in the 

Senate to honor the deeds and the spirit of the American 

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cowboy, and his very full American life came to a sad end 

last night. We, his friends and colleagues, remember him as 

the modern-day embodiment of the cowboy ideals he celebrated and loved. 

He was raised on a ranch just outside Cody, the rodeo capital of the world, in the Big Horn Basin, a windy town in the 

northwest corner of the Cowboy State. He grew up in the 

shadow of Heart Mountain to the north and Carter Mountain to the south and under the memory of Cody’s founder, 

William Frederick Cody, known to history and to schoolchildren from Butte to Boston as Buffalo Bill. 

CRAIG THOMAS was a humble man with an adventurous 

spirit from a lonely corner of the country who put his family, 

his country, and his State above all else. He served as a Marine from 1955 to 1959, retiring as a captain. He married a 

woman with a generous heart. My wife Elaine is a good 

friend of Susan’s, and one of the joys of Elaine’s time in the 

last few years was being invited out to Susan’s school to 

speak to her students. 

CRAIG was the proud father of four children—Lexie, Patrick, Greg, and Peter—who today mourn their father’s death. 

CRAIG was as much at home on horseback, roping, and 

ranching, as he was in a committee hearing room. How 

many times he must have daydreamed about being back 

home, out of a suit, with a rope in his hand and a steer in 

his sights. 

CRAIG had served in public office 22 years when he fell ill 

at a church service with Susan last November in Casper. 

Shortly after that, the people of Wyoming elected him to his 

third term in the Senate, with 70 percent of the vote. A born 

fighter, CRAIG’s doctors said he would be back here in January. He beat their predictions by a month. He was here in 

December. He suffered quietly over the last half year, as all 

of us hoped for the best. It wasn’t to be. 

Every year he pressed for a day that would memorialize 

the iconic status of the cowboy in American history, a day 

that honored their courage, hard work, honesty, and grit. I 

can think of no better way of honoring that spirit than by 

honoring this man who embodied it to the fullest. By his devotion to family, country, constituents, and friends, CRAIG

LYLE THOMAS showed us what it means to be an American. 

He embodied the best ideals of a Wyoming cowboy and made 

the Senate and those who had the privilege of knowing him 

far better for it. 

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We mourn with Susan, his children, and his staff here in 

the Senate. We honor them today, too, for their model of professionalism and caring concern they have shown over the 

last difficult months. We will miss CRAIG terribly, his calm 

toughness, his drive, and his cowboy spirit, but we are consoled by the thought that he will ride again, restored in body 

and flashing a smile as he goes. 

Mr. REID. Madam President, I appreciate the remarks of 

my distinguished counterpart. I think his words convey how 

we feel about CRAIG THOMAS. 

Madam President, we hear it often said that this is a Senate family, and it is times such as these when we do realize 

we are a family, a very small family of just 100—99 today. 

I can remember early last December I called and talked to 

CRAIG in the hospital, and he said, ‘‘I am getting better.’’

And he was. He did get better. It just didn’t last, and we all 

feel so badly about that. 

I remember CRAIG THOMAS for his legislative efforts. Wyoming, like Nevada, is a public land State. Wyoming has a lot 

of public land issues dealing with Federal agencies. I see his 

colleague here, Mike Enzi, and I can remember working with 

them on an issue which, to most people, seemed like not 

much, but to the two Senators from Wyoming and to the 

Senator from Nevada, it meant a lot. We were dealing with 

a place called Martin’s Cove, and even Senators from Utah 

were called in to see if we could resolve this, and we were 

able to resolve it eventually. But CRAIG was really tough 

when it came to public lands issues. 

I can remember, as can Lula, whom we all know, CRAIG

THOMAS’s persistence on a piece of legislation on an issue 

dealing with the potash of a mining company in Wyoming. 

He would ask us if we had been able to get it cleared. If he 

asked us once, he asked us 50 times, and we eventually got 

it cleared. I worked hard on this side for that for a couple 

of reasons: First, it was the right thing to do, and second, 

CRAIG wanted it so badly. So we were able to work that out. 

I will miss CRAIG THOMAS. He was the kind of person with 

whom I liked to deal. He told you how he felt—he wanted 

this done; he didn’t want that done. I recognized that he was 

very proud of being a Senator. 

I would have to say, however, that he was just as proud 

of being a Marine. His Marine Corps service was certainly 

commendable. He was in the Marine Corps in the late 

1950s—1955 to 1959. He went in as a private and came out 

as a captain. He was a graduate of the University of WyoVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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ming with a degree in agriculture, and that is why he was 

one of the leading experts in the Senate—in the Congress, I 

should say—on agriculture and, of course, issues affecting 

rural communities. 

Madam President, I will ask for unanimous consent in just 

a few minutes to do away with the votes we had scheduled 

this morning and reschedule them for later this afternoon so 

people have the opportunity to come and speak about CRAIG. 

And those who aren’t able to come, there will be a time set 

aside where we will recognize the service CRAIG THOMAS rendered to the State of Wyoming and to the country. 

MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF SENATOR CRAIG THOMAS 

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask that the Senate now 

stand for a moment of silence in recognition of Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

(Moment of silence.) 

Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask that you now recognize 

Senator Enzi. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Wyoming. 

Mr. ENZI. Madam President, when my plane touched 

down last night, I received an e-mail that told of the fate of 

a great man. It was a tremendous surprise to me. I just completed a week in Wyoming of explaining to people that he 

even timed his chemotherapy so he didn’t have to miss votes, 

and what a tough and strong man he was. 

CRAIG THOMAS was a Marine at heart, but he was a cowboy in his soul. He was quiet, he was focused, he was independent, he was hard-working. He loved the Senate and he 

loved the Marines and he loved his horses. The flags have 

been lowered, and there is a great deal of sadness in our 

hearts today as we mourn his loss and celebrate his life. I 

have had a lot of thoughts, but I haven’t had a chance to put 

them together. They come gushing back, together with a lot 

of tears. 

For those of us from Wyoming, CRAIG THOMAS was more 

than just our Senator. He was our voice in the Senate, and 

he was never one to back off from a fight, especially when 

he was battling for two things most dear: what was best for 

Wyoming and what was best for America. 

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CRAIG had long Wyoming roots, and he was very proud of 

them. He grew up in Cody and became friends with Al Simpson. Later on the two of them would serve together in the 

Senate. After he graduated from the University of Wyoming, 

he immediately began his service to the country he loved. He 

joined the Marine Corps. I am convinced that experience 

helped to shape his character and molded his destiny. I 

think his steely resolve and firm will took shape during 

those days that helped guide him and prepare him for the 

battles that would come later in his political life. 

When CRAIG’s service in the Marine Corps was through, he 

began what was to be his life’s work, which was serving the 

people of Wyoming to ensure their best interests were taken 

care of and their needs were addressed. 

His first efforts for Wyoming brought him to the Wyoming 

Farm Bureau and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association. 

He was proud of his service with both of these organizations. It kept him actively involved in issues that meant a 

great deal to him and, more important, it kept him in touch 

with the people of Wyoming and their day-to-day problems. 

It also set him on the road to doing anything and everything 

he could to make life easier for his fellow citizens in Wyoming. 

I remember the days we served together in the Wyoming 

House. I was a mayor and had municipal electrical experience. He was with the Rural Electric Association. We worked 

a lot of electrical bills together at that time. We could bring 

in both perspectives, find the middle ground, and make sure 

all of the people, rural and urban—I use the term ‘‘urban’’

for Wyoming rather loosely, but urban—would be able to 

have low-cost and consistent electricity. 

Nobody knew energy or electricity better than CRAIG. That 

led him to run for the Wyoming House seat. Dick Cheney 

was appointed Secretary of Defense, and CRAIG ran for it 

and won his seat. It was not an easy victory, but it showed 

what a fighter and battler he was as he took on that challenge, which was done in a relatively short period of time. 

The executive committee just has a few days to select candidates, and then there is a very short time for an election 

for the position in the House. He used his usual toughness, 

went around the State, talked to everybody, and won that 

election. 

Incidentally, the person he ran against in the primary, 

Tom Sansonetti, became his chief of staff, which shows how 

people get along in Wyoming. 

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To no one’s surprise, CRAIG focused on Wyoming issues in 

the House and he was reelected. Then when Malcolm Wallop 

decided to retire, CRAIG was such a popular choice he didn’t 

have any opposition in the primary. He did face another battle in the general election, but once again his fighting spirit 

prevailed and he found a way to win. Interestingly enough, 

the person he defeated in the general election was a very 

popular Governor of Wyoming who was just ending his term. 

That Governor was later appointed Ambassador to Ireland 

by President Clinton. To CRAIG THOMAS’s credit, the hearing 

was scheduled for that Ambassadorship before the papers 

ever got to the Capitol. Ambassador Sullivan did a fantastic 

job in Ireland. 

CRAIG won the Senate seat, and 2 years later I ran for the 

Senate and won. He is one of the few Wyoming residents 

who ever served both in the House and in the Senate. It has 

not been a tradition in Wyoming to move from the House to 

the Senate. I was elected and then got a chance to work with 

him again. He was a remarkable man of vision on how to 

make Wyoming and our country better places to live. He 

spent a good deal of his time traveling Wyoming. He was one 

of the most ardent travelers we have ever had in the Senate, 

going back virtually every weekend, traveling to a different 

part of the State, talking to people and trying to get their vision for the future. 

One of his efforts on that was called Vision 2020. He challenged the people of Wyoming. He stretched the people’s 

imagination on what our State ought to be like in the year 

2020. That was in 1998, but we are getting a lot closer to 

2020, and I think the State is moving toward the vision that 

he predicted at that time. It was a goal he cherished and 

fought for. Many of the things he envisioned, or the people 

of Wyoming envisioned, have been achieved through his efforts on the Senate floor. 

CRAIG THOMAS will long be remembered as one of Wyoming’s toughest and fiercest advocates. CRAIG knew that 

much of our work gets done in committees, so he pursued 

those committees that would help him fight for Wyoming in 

the Senate. He served on the critical Finance Committee. He 

was a staunch fiscal conservative, and he believed very 

strongly that people in Wyoming and across the Nation know 

better how to spend their hard-earned money than does the 

Federal Government. He used his position on the committee 

to lighten the tax burden and to make our Tax Code more 

fair. 

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He was the ranking member on the Indian Affairs Committee. He served as chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee where he was a tireless advocate for our park system. I think he visited most of the parks. Earlier, when our 

Republican leader was talking about horseback, it was even 

possible sometimes to see him with the park policemen on 

horseback taking a look at the parks of the Capitol. 

I would mention also that usually when you saw him on 

horseback you also saw his wife Susan on horseback. She 

was a tireless traveler and an outstanding campaigner and 

another person who searches for the visions of Wyoming. In 

parades, they always rode horses. They had special saddle 

blankets that helped to say who they were—as if people in 

Wyoming wouldn’t know who they were. I would mention 

that she was thrown from a horse a couple of times, too. 

Bands and horses don’t always go well in hand. But, as 

CRAIG always said, she was the real campaigner in the family. She actually liked it. She does a marvelous job for our 

State, as well as did CRAIG. 

CRAIG was very active on all of the agricultural issues and 

international trade, particularly country-of-origin labeling. 

He supported our cattlemen with grazing rights and responsible environmental quality incentive programs for runoff 

issues. He has worked tirelessly to get changes in the Endangered Species Act. He realized that was a national program with national goals and it should not punish individuals or counties or even the States, and that there ought to 

be responsibility at the Federal level. 

With energy, he was the lead sponsor of our soda ash royalty relief bill. He was the lead sponsor on the Recreational 

Fee Demonstration Program that allowed the national parks 

to keep a higher percentage of the receipts that were received on public lands where they were collected, and he specifically made efforts to include section 413 of the Energy 

Policy Act, which authorizes Federal cost-share for the building of a coal gasification project above 4,000 feet. That would 

help get a clean coal plant built in Wyoming, which would 

prove the technology with Wyoming coal at high altitude. We 

have huge resources of coal. We ship over one-third of the 

Nation’s coal—over 1 million tons a day. 

The reason we ship so much coal is because it is very low 

sulfur. He was providing a mechanism to be able to have 

some assurance that coal gasification of this clean coal would 

be included in projects that we did in the United States. It 

would help to prove the technology at high altitude and show 

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its viability and would make a difference for all the United 

States in all their energy in the future. 

He was also instrumental in writing the electricity title of 

EPAct. Recently, his efforts to get a coal-to-liquids section of 

whatever energy bill we will be debating, although unsuccessful thus far, advanced the debate to the furthest point it 

had moved. 

During the last FAA reauthorization, CRAIG was very instrumental in radar upgrades for the Jackson Airport, which 

was imperative for the growth of the city and airport, especially related to tourism. I think Jackson is the only city in 

Wyoming that has long distance direct flights. Most of them 

come through Salt Lake or Denver or Minneapolis. But Jackson actually has flights that come from Houston and Atlanta 

direct. 

He also did a lot for Wyoming with two big transportation 

authorization bills to ensure that the large land area, lowpopulation States received a fair amount of highway funding. 

As I mentioned, on fiscal issues he was a staunch conservative who believed the people knew how to spend their 

money better than the Federal Government. 

A few months ago, CRAIG shared his medical situation 

with us. He was in for another difficult fight, but he was 

used to them. He has been a battler all his life. He took the 

fierce determination that he learned as a Marine and 

brought it to this latest battle against leukemia. Unfortunately, it was a battle this great fighter was not to win. 

Although that last battle of his life was lost, there were so 

many victories in his life that we will long remember. CRAIG

died as he lived, with his spurs on, fighting for Wyoming to 

the very end. I am sure we all have our favorite instant replay memories of CRAIG and his unique style. 

I have always believed you can get a lot done if you don’t 

care who gets the credit. That was CRAIG—never one to seek 

the limelight or to draw attention to himself. He was the one 

working in committee to assure that the voices of the Wyoming people and America were heard and heard clearly. 

For me, I will always remember CRAIG’s spirit, for his spirit in life was a great illustration of the spirit of Wyoming. 

His life became a living portrait of the American West. He 

saw the world from the saddle of his horse and from under 

the brim of his cowboy hat. He was proud of Wyoming and 

Wyoming was proud to be represented by him. 

CRAIG was my senior Senator. He was my confidant and 

mentor. But most of all, he was a very good friend. Diana 

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and I will always feel appreciation for the fact that CRAIG

and Susan made us part of their family. Our prayers are 

with Susan and their family during these difficult times. 

I will miss him. But because he was such a special presence in my life and the lives of so many others, I have a long 

list of instant replay memories I will always cherish of him: 

the times we were out on the campaign trail, the legislation 

we worked on together and, more important, the impact he 

had on my life personally, as he had on so many others. 

Wyoming is a different place today because of this great 

loss of ours. There is great sadness in the State and also 

great joy as we celebrate the life of one of our special citizens. He was with us for all too short a time, but he will 

never be forgotten. 

I received a book called Give Me Mountains for My Horses, 

by Tom Reed. But what I always ask for is that they give 

us men to match our mountains and our horses—and that 

would be CRAIG. 

I want to share just a little piece of this because I know 

that CRAIG is already riding in a far better place. It says: 

There is a taste to this place, this time. Nothing is behind you. Everything 

is ahead. But you don’t really think about what is ahead, you only think 

of now, for this partnership you have entered into is one of the moment, of 

now. Now has you in a saddle on a bay horse, heading up a trail of pines 

and spruce and mountain, of stream and meadow. 

Behind you, connected by only your hand and a lead rope but carrying everything important to you, is another bay horse, an almost identical match 

to the one you are riding. You call them nicknames as if they were human 

compadres, drinking buddies. You cluck and coo and talk to them as if they 

give a damn about what you have to say. You think they do and maybe, 

just maybe [they do]. 

Right now they are stepping out, heads nodding, down the trail and 

through the stream and all you have to do is ride. So you ride. 

That evening as dusk brings the mosquitoes out of the willows—the same 

dusk that put the horse flies to bed—you choose a camp. It is a good place, 

save for the bugs, with room for the horses in the broad, deep green meadow 

and camp back against the lodgepoles and your kitchen down a ways. So 

you ease off the bay’s back and stretch your muscles with that stiff-good, 

worked-hard feeling, and you begin to unload the packhorse, talking to him, 

thanking him. In a while he has on his hobbles and is out there with his 

buddy, snorting contentedly in the tall grass and swishing a long, coal-black 

tail at the mosquitoes. 

It goes like this for days, the ride, the squeak of the saddle leather, the 

smell of dust, the taste of it on your tongue. The smell of horse sweat and 

your own and the soft muzzles nuzzling you after a long day. Good camp 

after good camp. Muscles turning hard. Eyes becoming sharp for wildlife. 

And riding, always riding. 

One evening a big sow grizzly and her cub cross a broad meadow far out 

there. A tough gal, rambling, giving you and your horses a wide berth. But 

still the binoculars sweat in your hands and your mouth is dry. 

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‘‘Boy, what a beautiful animal.’’

The next morning a moose walks the same path. You have not seen another human in days but there’s a jet contrail reminding you that yes, this 

is the modern world. You ride. 

CRAIG loved the modern world. He worked hard in this 

body. He would have liked to have been out there in those 

mountains on those horses enjoying the smell and the 

sounds. Now he is riding. Ride on my friend, ride on. 

I yield the floor. 

Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I got a very early phone 

call from my daughter in Italy. Of course, their time is 6 

hours ahead of ours, and they heard about CRAIG before we 

did. 

I have listened to some of my colleagues talking about 

CRAIG. You know, there are some people you have more in 

common with than others. I can recall CRAIG and I both 

came to the House of Representatives about the same time. 

Then we both decided we would run for the Senate in 1994. 

That was a decision we made. We talked to each other and 

we decided that would be the best thing for us to do and perhaps we would be able to articulate our concerns a little bit 

more. 

He was a Marine, I was in the Army. We had a lot in common. I think it was Mitch McConnell or perhaps Harry Reid 

this morning who talked about his calm toughness, his way 

of expressing himself. I have always been very envious. I 

would come down, and I would watch CRAIG THOMAS on the 

floor. He would say things as antagonistically, as offensively 

as I would, except people loved him when he said it and they 

hated me when I said it. I was never able to master that. 

I watched him day after day, month after month, and year 

after year being able to do that. 

I think Mike Enzi is right when he said CRAIG THOMAS

was the voice of the Senate. Let me correct Senator McConnell on one thing he said. I chaired the Environment and 

Public Works Committee when CRAIG THOMAS was on that 

committee. This morning Mitch McConnell said he was as 

much at home on a horse as he was in a committee meeting. 

Well, let me correct you because he was much more at home 

on a horse than he would be in that committee meeting. I 

can remember seeing him staring off, and then I would go 

over and visit while some people were testifying, perhaps on 

the other side, and he would tell me his stories. He was a 

real cowboy. A lot of us ride horses in parades; he was a real 

cowboy and such a great guy. 

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Many years ago, I was mayor of Tulsa. We had our annual 

meeting in Ketchum, ID. I was flying a plane up there when 

we were weathered in in Saratoga, WY. Saratoga, WY, is a 

town that Lewis and Clark came through at the bend of the 

river. I fell in love with that town. For the next 7 years that 

I served in the capacity of being mayor, I always purposefully stayed in Saratoga, WY. 

I went up to him in the House of Representatives in the 

1980s, and I said: CRAIG, you know when I was in—when I 

would stop, make my stop in Saratoga, WY, and stay at the 

Wolf Hotel—I might add, I would stay at the Wolf Hotel in 

the presidential suite; it was the only one with a bathroom 

in it. I told him almost everyone I would run into on the 

streets of Saratoga, WY, reminded me of CRAIG THOMAS. 

These are salt-of-the-earth people, wonderful people, people 

I learned to dearly love. 

Kay told me this morning, when we heard about CRAIG, 

she said: ‘‘You probably forgot this, but when you were in 

voting on the day that we had the spouses dinner, that was 

2 weeks ago today, on Tuesday, I saw him walking across 

the parking lot while I was waiting for you to vote, and he 

was walking a little slower than usual. I said: ‘Hey, handsome.’ And his whole face lit up.’’ And he came over and he 

embraced Kay. That is the way that he was to a lot of people. So let me say this to Peter, Greg, Patrick and Lexie and 

Susan. Susan, you have some people you have heard from 

this morning who dearly love you and would love to have 

some way of comforting you. We know how difficult it is. We 

will pray for you, for your kids. I have to say this also, I do 

not think it has been said yet about CRAIG. 

CRAIG THOMAS was probably the most consistent Member 

of the Senate prayer breakfast because he was always there. 

Mike Enzi knows this because he is the chairman now. He 

was always there. I give the Scripture at this thing. So we 

knew that if we did not see CRAIG THOMAS anyplace else 

during the week, we would see him at the Senate prayer 

breakfast. 

The Senate prayer breakfast is similar to a lot of these 

things. It is based on Acts 2:42. Acts 2:42 is the genesis of 

these meetings you do on a regular basis. You get together 

and you do four things: eat together, pray together, fellowship together, and talk about the precepts of Jesus together. 

We talked about the precepts of Jesus together every 

Wednesday morning. 

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That is the comfort I had with CRAIG THOMAS. Some people, you wonder if they are going to be there. But THOMAS

you didn’t wonder, you knew. So, CRAIG, all I can say is, this 

is not goodbye, this is, ‘‘We will see you later.’’

I yield the floor. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Who seeks recognition? The Senator from Alaska is recognized. 

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, it was with great sadness that Catherine and I learned of Senator CRAIG THOMAS’s passing last night. The people of Wyoming have lost a 

tireless advocate and a skilled leader. Those of us in the Senate have lost a true friend and a genuine inspiration. 

CRAIG and I remained close throughout our time as colleagues. I visited with him on matters pertaining to resource 

development and ranches probably more than any other 

Member of the Senate. These weren’t visits concerning legislation, but simply to share experiences and to get advice. 

Although CRAIG came to the Senate much after I did, he 

possessed a wealth of knowledge, particularly about the 

West. I had the privilege of marrying into a family with 

small ranches in Arizona. CRAIG and I talked often about 

horses, the problems facing ranches and cowboys, and how 

they can endure in today’s economy. 

In each of the past several years, CRAIG has introduced a 

resolution designating a National Day of the American Cowboy. More than any other member of this body, CRAIG recognized there is more to cowboys than roping, riding, and 

branding. From the Wild West to the Last Frontier, cowboys 

have long symbolized the spirit and determination which 

makes our Nation great. It was my pleasure to help sponsor 

CRAIG’s resolutions, and this year, on July 28, we will pay 

special tribute to a man who truly embodied the American 

cowboy. 

CRAIG was always mindful of the best interests of other 

Western States. As a Senator from Wyoming, he represented 

a State with a great many problems in common with those 

of us from Alaska. CRAIG was renowned for his legislative efforts regarding national parks. His efforts to improve rural 

health care greatly benefited his constituents and continue 

to serve as a model for our Nation. 

Above all, I remember working with CRAIG on resource 

issues related to coal, oil, and land management. He was 

steadfast in his efforts to increase domestic energy production. He fought to secure funding for a coal gasification plant 

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in his home State, and he also supported exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 

To deal with CRAIG THOMAS was to deal with a gentleman, 

a person who had absolute knowledge of the topics he spoke 

on. You couldn’t talk to him without becoming aware you 

were talking to a Marine. As far as I am concerned, Marines 

have something special about them—an absolute steadfastness, honesty, and integrity. CRAIG exemplified these qualities. 

It is hard for me to realize he is now gone. Just before I 

left to go home this past recess, I stopped CRAIG and told 

him we are praying for him and to hang in there. Our great 

friend Susan Butcher also died of leukemia. She went 

through the same process CRAIG did. He told me he was 

going to stick with it. He thought he was going to be able 

to beat it. Everyone who met with CRAIG in the period after 

he was diagnosed with leukemia had to admire his absolute 

courage. 

CRAIG’s concept of life impressed me most. He lived life to 

the fullest. He had a wonderful family, four wonderful children, and a wonderful wife in Susan. He was also the essence of a Westerner. I have known many Westerners in my 

day, but never one who was as consummate a Westerner as 

CRAIG THOMAS. The people of Wyoming were blessed to have 

him representing their interests. Whenever he went home, 

CRAIG traveled throughout his State, from one small community to the next. We compared notes about how Wyoming 

residents faced problems similar to those of the people of 

Alaska. 

With CRAIG’s passing, the Senate has lost a great leader 

in terms of Western values. But we have also lost a man who 

was a friend. He had the qualities everyone cherishes in a 

friend. And as the Senator from Oklahoma has said, he was 

very devout. You couldn’t talk to CRAIG without realizing he 

had tremendous faith in our Maker. He was guided by this 

faith, and it kept him going during the past few months. 

It is also hard to understand that leukemia is such a violent disease. This year alone, more than 44,000 Americans 

will be diagnosed with leukemia. The type of cancer which 

afflicted CRAIG, acute myeloid leukemia, has a 5-year survival rate of just 21 percent. 

If there is anything I would add to what is going to be said 

today, it is that we must do more. We must do more to prevent this disease. We must learn as much as possible, and 

apply as much research as possible, because very few people 

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survive their tremendous battle with leukemia. Of all people, 

I really believed CRAIG might. When I left for the Memorial 

Day recess, I had a good feeling—CRAIG was going to make 

it. He told me he would soon start another round of chemotherapy, but because of his strong faith, he had no fear of 

what lay ahead. 

I hope the Senate takes a lesson from CRAIG THOMAS’s attitude as he faced this adversity. After being diagnosed with 

leukemia, CRAIG faced trials and tribulations we can hardly 

imagine, and we will remember him as an example of a man 

with great moral strength and great faith in God. In honor 

of his memory, it is my hope we will join together and find 

a way to apply more funds to research leukemia, whose devastating impact has now taken a good friend from our Senate 

family. 

This morning, the Casper Star-Tribune published several 

individuals’ recollections of CRAIG. One of his former staff 

members, Liz Brimmer, said, 

In unassuming and generous ways, he did more for Wyoming, more for 

Wyoming people, than most people knew. His positive spirit permeated 

every interaction. Fiercely loyal and generous of spirit, CRAIG was funny 

and tenacious all in the same moment . . . He loved people and loved to 

make a difference. What better mark of a man? 

I wish I could find words as eloquent and as fitting to describe this extraordinary Senator. 

We all mourn his death, and we send our love and best 

wishes to his family. Susan had a husband, and his children 

had a father, without equal. CRAIG THOMAS was a family 

man through and through, and I am deeply saddened by his 

passing. 

When I thought about him this morning, who he was and 

what he meant to the Senate, a few words came to mind. In 

a place of great debate and heightened political excitement, 

CRAIG THOMAS was always a gentleman. That says something. It certainly is something we will remember. In a time 

and place where we often raise our voices in anger and emotion, CRAIG THOMAS was always soft spoken, but he was always heard. In a time when many of us fail even our own 

standards in terms of integrity, he was a man of high integrity, honorable and humble. In a place where many show 

weakness, he always showed strength, that quiet strength of 

a Wyoming cowboy. 

I thought about his last battle with cancer. You could tell, 

when you saw him on the floor or passed him in the hallway, 

the therapy had taken its toll on him personally. Yet there 

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was always a smile on his face, a determination to overcome 

the odds, and a very optimistic and positive word when you 

asked him how he was doing. Those are the things I remember about CRAIG THOMAS. 

We serve with many people. They come and go. The annals 

of history do not record them all as great, but each one of 

us is lucky to be here and lucky to develop the friendships 

and relationships we do. Politically, CRAIG THOMAS and I 

were worlds apart. There might not be any starker contrast 

in voting records than CRAIG THOMAS and mine, but it didn’t 

make much difference when it came to his friendship and his 

personal relationship. I am going to miss him. I am going to 

miss that Wyoming cowboy who had the Remington bronzes 

in his office that I walked by and looked at every time I 

came down the corridor. I will miss his smile and his courage. But I am going to be reminded by his example of how 

we can all be a little bit better in what we do here in the 

Senate. 

I extend my sympathies to his wife Susan, his family, his 

staff, and all of his friends. He was truly a great Senator. I 

was honored to count him as a friend. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Georgia. 

Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate as in morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

Mr. ISAKSON. In the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, the Bible teaches us that ‘‘there is a time for everything; a time to live and a time to die, a time to reap and 

a time to sow.’’ Last night became the time that CRAIG

THOMAS left us. For that we are all sorry and extend our 

sympathy to Susan and all his family and the people of Wyoming. But for all of us today and for years to come, it will 

be a time for us to reap the benefits of having known CRAIG

THOMAS, having benefited from his service as a colleague in 

the Senate, but for the people of Wyoming as a great servant 

to that State. I don’t know if there are two finer people who 

ever served the Senate than Mike Enzi and CRAIG THOMAS. 

To have a matched set of rock-solid, quiet but humble, and 

strong men to serve a State is quite a unique privilege for 

that State and a unique privilege for all of us who serve. 

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On this sad occasion of the passing of a great Senator and 

a great friend, I know I will benefit and reap for years to 

come from the service, the passion, and the integrity of 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

I honor his life. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Florida. 

Mr. MARTINEZ. Madam President, I rise to address the 

Senate in morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

Mr. MARTINEZ. I am saddened by the passing of a good 

friend, Senator THOMAS. I express my condolences to his 

family, the people of Wyoming, Senator Enzi, and to all of us 

who knew him and loved him. I have not served long with 

Senator THOMAS. It was a joy to hear this morning how he 

was described by Senator Enzi, who has known him for a 

long time. My memories of him are as someone who always 

was kind, always friendly, offered me a helping hand on my 

first days in the Senate. I know he has been described as an 

authentic cowboy. I certainly always viewed him as that. He 

seemed to be the real deal, the real McCoy. 

I remember speaking before the break with the Senator, 

telling him how good he looked. Of course, he already knew 

he was headed back to another bout of chemo, but he didn’t 

dwell on that. He was telling me that he was feeling good, 

and he did look good. He looked a lot better than he had 

been, and we were all encouraged. He certainly believed in 

that assessment as well. 

In the last few months, he has been ‘‘down the road’’ from 

us, and he has been responsible for the candy drawer, a little 

Senate tradition. As we were talking before the break, standing there, he was commenting on his pride in the Wyoming 

taffy candy he had introduced to the candy drawer. He was 

a Wyoming promoter to the very end. 

I relish the good memories. I know we are all sad today 

at this incredible loss. My heart goes out to the members of 

his family. We will do all we can to support all those who 

loved him. 

I yield the floor. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

New Hampshire. 

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Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I rise to speak as in morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, on behalf of Kathy and 

myself, we send our deepest condolences and expressions of 

sympathy to Susan and her family on CRAIG’s passing. Susan 

and CRAIG were good friends of ours. Susan is and CRAIG

still is. They are special people. They are people whom you 

like to call friends, the type of people who are there. And 

they had a special relationship. I don’t know how many votes 

we cast together. It was a lot. CRAIG arrived 2 years after 

I had. We would walk out of this Chamber together very 

often, and Susan, because she was here in Washington, 

would almost always be right out there, right outside the 

door, with a great smile to greet us, even though we probably just lost the vote. 

CRAIG was special because, as has been mentioned and 

said so well by his partner Senator Enzi and his colleagues, 

Senator McConnell, Senator Inhofe, Senator Stevens, Senator Isakson, Senator Martinez, and the Democratic leader, 

Senator Reid, everybody respected him. You may not have 

agreed with him, but you could not help but respect him. He 

was quiet but accomplished and understood the issues. He 

was a man of inordinate common sense. When he would look 

at an issue, he would cut through all the puffery, all the theater, of which there is a fair amount around here, and he 

would get to the essence of the question. Then he would 

bring common sense to the question. Yes, it was common 

sense born out of a philosophy, which is our side of the aisle, 

which is conservative, but it was a common sense that cut 

across ideology most often because it was usually so obvious 

what the conclusion would be as presented by CRAIG. 

I had the great good fortune—I don’t know how it happened, but it was good fortune for me—to end up spending 

almost every Tuesday lunch, where we do policy, and almost 

every Wednesday lunch sitting next to CRAIG, where we do 

steering and get together as Members of the Republican Senate to discuss whatever is happening. We sort of gravitated 

to each other. That is sort of ironic, me being from New England and him from Wyoming, but I think there is a certain 

identity of our approaches to events. I am certainly proud to 

say that. The great fun about sitting beside CRAIG was that 

not only did he have this wonderful common sense, but he 

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had an extraordinary sense of humor. He would listen to 

statements made, often by our leadership—I do not wish to 

be disparaging here; I am simply being kind—and he would 

make some smiling, thoughtful comment that was usually 

fairly humorous and a touch irreverent about comments 

made by our leadership as to what we should be doing. You 

couldn’t help but laugh because he was a person who had a 

sense of self, a sense of humor, a focus on what was right 

and what was wrong and what life should be about. 

This disease attacked him, but honestly, you couldn’t convince him that it attacked him. You would ask him how he 

was doing. He would say: ‘‘I am OK.’’ Even though you knew 

he was going through extraordinary pain, you would never, 

ever—at least I never, ever—hear him complain. He was a 

genuine Marine in that sense. 

He will obviously be missed around here. He was a lowkey person who had a high-level impact. I will certainly miss 

him. I will miss him at those lunches and I will miss seeing 

Susan outside the door. 

To Susan and his family, Kathy and I say: He was a great 

friend, and we will miss him. 

I yield the floor. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Colorado. 

Mr. ALLARD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 

to speak as in morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

Mr. ALLARD. I rise to honor my friend CRAIG THOMAS, 

the Senator from Wyoming who passed away last night, and 

to express my sympathy to Susan, his wife, and to his family 

and to the people of Wyoming. Joan and I and my staff feel 

we have had a very special relationship with CRAIG and 

Susan and his staff. 

Two weeks ago the Senate passed S. Res. 130 declaring 

July 28 as National Day of the American Cowboy. This was 

the last piece of legislation Senator THOMAS pushed through 

the Senate. It is so true to his spirit. Senator THOMAS was 

himself a cowboy, a roper. He understood that as a symbol 

of the American West, cowboys represent much more than 

men on horses. They stand for courage, determination, hard 

work, and respect for nature. They stand for the West itself 

and for those who wish to protect and preserve it. 

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His work on the Energy and Environment Committees was 

a testament as well to his belief that the land we have been 

blessed with needs stewardship and care, and that those who 

live on and work with the land are often the best at doing 

so. CRAIG tried to take care of the land, especially the Wyoming he loved so much. This connection with the West, his 

concern for land management, and the way of life of those 

who lived on the land, should be his legacy. CRAIG rode forward into the end of his life so bravely that most of us never 

knew how bad his health was. He told us he was seeking 

treatment, but the end came quickly and, for him, stoically. 

It was always a pleasure serving with Senator THOMAS—

first in the House of Representatives, then in the Senate, 

where we collaborated on a whole range of issues. The proximity of our home States and our shared interest and passion for natural resources and energy issues provided many 

opportunities to partner on legislative efforts. 

During the 2001 anthrax attack on the Hart Senate Office 

Building that pushed several Senators out of their offices, I 

was happy to offer Senator THOMAS and his staff space in my 

office for several months until his office was deemed safe 

again. During that time I was able to get to know him and 

his staff even better. 

I offer my condolences now to his staff. He was the type 

of man who was not just a boss but a friend as well. I know 

they are hurting. He will be remembered for being the quintessential Wyoming cowboy, a gentleman with quick wit and 

humility of spirit that endeared him to his colleagues and 

made him a joy to us all. 

Any man who can list cowboy, U.S. Marine, husband, and 

father on his life’s accomplishments lived life well. The Senate has lost a gentle giant who served his State and Nation 

with honor and distinction. Joan and I are keeping Susan 

and the family in our thoughts and prayers. I will miss my 

friend, CRAIG THOMAS. 

Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call 

the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

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Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I ask to speak for up 

to 10 minutes in morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

New Mexico is recognized. 

Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I first note the presence on the floor of the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, 

Mr. Enzi. I note also present in the Senate is a beautiful 

bouquet of flowers on the desk that was occupied by the 

other Senator from Wyoming, Mr. CRAIG THOMAS. 

I want to say to Senator Enzi, first, we will all have an 

opportunity in the next few days and weeks to speak about 

the Senator who was your colleague who left us last night, 

and we all will have an opportunity to speak with you and 

see you on more occasions than this to express to you our 

heartfelt sorrow for the loss of your colleague. 

You will suffer a lot of things that will be downers during 

your life in the Senate—and because we all live our lives, 

things happen, go up and go down—but I am quite sure you 

will not have an opportunity to suffer any more severe a loss 

than the loss of your colleague who was at the same time a 

cowboy, a Marine, a Senator, a father, and, clearly, a husband. 

He had a wife named Susan. Everybody who knows her 

loves her. My wife loves her. I called my wife early this 

morning, after I heard, and I was so pleased she answered 

the phone herself because I thought: Where will I get her? 

We may get caught up in the maze of today and maybe I will 

not be able to talk to her until tomorrow, or maybe Nancy 

will not be able to talk to me. But, sure enough, it was at 

8:30 this morning I was able to talk to her. 

Her first words, after knowing who I was, were words coming out of her mouth saying: ‘‘He did a good job for Wyoming, 

didn’t he?’’ I said: ‘‘You bet.’’ Then: ‘‘I am sure, not knowing 

the rest of his life, he must have done a good job in a lot of 

other areas. Probably he was a good husband—,’’ to which 

there was no answer because that was not intended as a 

question. He obviously was a wonderful man. Quiet, sort of 

unassuming, but he was a very involved Senator, especially 

when it came to Wyoming. 

Very early on, as he worked his way from the House, 

where he replaced Dick Cheney, over to the Senate, where 

he had been elected, he decided he would work for his State. 

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ator, and that was, representing that great State of Wyoming. What a State that is, and what a Senator they had. 

From my standpoint, I served with him on two committees. The one I know the most and remember the most is the 

one we served the longest on: Energy and Natural Resources, 

which the occupant of the chair has served on with us. But 

when it came to this man, he frequently worked with Democrats on serious issues because he wanted to get things done. 

If there is one thing I noticed as we worked together, 

shoulder to shoulder on this committee, it was that he was 

impatient because he did not understand when we wasted 

time and he did not understand why we were doing some 

certain things. He would ask: ‘‘Why don’t we get on with 

what we are supposed to do? What are we talking about this 

for? This is not policy. We are talking about a bunch of little 

things we ought not be involved in.’’ I think I remember that 

more than anything else: ‘‘Can’t we get on with it?’’

I remember he was burdened with the fact there is a substance in his State called trona. The other Senator from Wyoming might know about it. He must know about it. Apparently, they were having competition in the world, and he 

thought the royalties were too high. I don’t know. Anybody 

who served on the committee must have heard the word 

‘‘trona’’ because he was all over that issue, wanting to get 

somebody to listen to him about the unfairness of it and to 

help solve it. 

I did not get to serve with him on the Finance Committee 

and other committees he served on, but it would be my guess 

he was the same way on all of them, that he showed up 

when he should and did his job as best he could, and that 

when the chips were down, you could count on him. When 

the chips were down, he did what he said. He voted the way 

he would tell you. He worked the way a dedicated person 

works. 

For me and my wife, on this day, shortly after his death, 

I want to say in the Senate that Wyoming sent us a true 

man. I do not know whether it was the Marines who made 

him a man or what it was, but he was truly different. He 

was tough minded. He was quiet. But he was impatient, and 

he wanted to get good things done. 

I am positive his relatives and his great State will never 

forget him. He will be remembered by them, just as we remember him. He will leave them, and they will have a big 

void, without a question, because a giant part of their lives 

leaves. That goes for Wyoming, and that goes for his wife 

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Susan and their children. I think there are four of them. I 

did not get to meet them. But if they are like their mother 

and father, they could not help but be great. 

With that, I say goodbye to the Senator, and I extend my 

sorrows to his wonderful wife, and, hopefully, I will be part 

of whatever ceremony there is for us to send him on his way. 

May God bless his family and him, and may whatever he 

aspired to get done, get done by others who follow him because he set such a wonderful basis to get those things completed for his State. 

I thank the Senate and I thank the junior Senator from 

Wyoming for the kind man he is. I will be seeing him, and 

I say to the Senator, if I can help you during these times, 

please call on me. I am available. 

I yield the floor. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Indiana. 

Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, the thoughts and prayers 

of my wife Charlene and myself are with Susan today and 

their four children, as we think about CRAIG THOMAS, our 

dear friend, our colleague, a man who has been such a wonderful presence in our lives in the Senate. 

Much has been said, and quite correctly so, about Senator 

THOMAS as a cowboy, and certainly he was, and his rich heritage of experience in the Marine Corps, as he volunteered 

to serve his country after college. But I want to stress two 

or three things that perhaps have not come to the attention 

of Senators in the same way this morning, one of which is 

that CRAIG THOMAS was a person who was vitally interested 

in the Far East. He served for a period of time on the Foreign Relations Committee, and during that period of time, as 

I recall, was either the subcommittee chairman or heavily involved in hearings and in working with our Ambassadors to 

countries in Asia. 

For a variety of reasons, because CRAIG always sought opportunities to serve Wyoming in whatever committee assignments seemed most appropriate at the time, his service on 

the Foreign Relations Committee was not a long one, but he 

continued that service by holding breakfasts in his office. I 

was privileged to be invited to those breakfasts in which famous people from abroad, especially the Far East, were his 

guests. These are ladies and gentlemen he had met during 

his foreign travels or during his work in Wyoming in which 

they might have been of value to his State. 

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It was an extraordinary set of experiences. I stress ‘‘experiences’’ because there were many of these breakfasts. I encouraged him to continue on. I enjoyed the fellowship of the 

people he brought together as well as Senators he brought 

into an orbit of understanding about the Far East, through 

his own ministry in this case. 

I have been impressed in addition—speaking of breakfasts 

and the fact that Senator THOMAS was a regular at the 

Aspen Institute breakfasts that are held right here in the 

Capitol on Wednesdays and Thursdays frequently throughout the legislative year. I am advised as many as 24 of these 

breakfasts are held on the subjects which the Aspen Institute congressional group is focusing. 

Among the things on which the group has been focusing in 

recent years have been problems with Russia and the Balkans and developments in Eastern Europe, the problems certainly in education generally as a subject for our schoolchildren in this country, problems in Latin America, the 

problems of the environment and energy, and, appropriately, 

problems in Asia and especially China in the Far East. 

I noticed CRAIG THOMAS, when it came to these breakfasts, 

usually was there on time and listened to the lecture or the 

paper that was being given by the speaker, and that he frequently proceeded on, perhaps, to another breakfast or another appointment without severely questioning either other 

Members of Congress or the speaker at the time, but was intensely interested. Because we frequently saw and listened 

to the same people, this led to many rich conversations 

which I was privileged to have with him. I would ask him: 

‘‘What did you think? What were your impressions of that 

speaker today?’’ He always had some very concise impressions. 

But a third thing I simply want to mention, in addition to 

these breakfasts, is the sense of good humor with which 

those impressions were cast. He had his own unique sense 

of humor, and yet it was clearly there and very much a part 

of the personal association each one of us enjoyed with the 

Senator. 

Likewise, that sense of humor was shared by Susan, appropriately. I can remember so many times outside the door 

to this Chamber Susan would be standing there at about 

6:30 at night or some such time. It was obvious she and the 

Senator were going to dinner or had some activity. But one 

of the delightful things was that so many of us had been visiting with Susan over the years. We had a lot to say to her 

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and she to us, always with a wonderful sense of humor, with 

a sense of the work we are about, how unusual to some this 

schedule seems, how absurd it may be to others, someone 

who had her own vocation as a very remarkable teacher and 

someone who understood the needs of children. 

It is not surprising that CRAIG would attend the Aspen 

Education Conferences in addition to his far-flung interests 

in Asia and most important, obviously, the land use issues 

and the remarkable ability of people to make a living off the 

land in his home State. It was finally in that capacity that 

I enjoyed the best conversations with CRAIG THOMAS because 

he was deeply interested in agriculture, as I am. We come 

from very different kinds of agriculture, yet there was a profound understanding of the challenges and the joys of people 

who make their living from the soil; likewise, from the husbandry of animals and the combination of forestry, and even 

the mineral uses of lands—much more abundant, I must say, 

in the State of Wyoming than in Indiana. But we both understood the nature of that income, the nature of the challenge, and the importance of State and Federal legislation as 

it pertained to those farmers. So I will miss those conversations especially because that is a heritage of land in which 

both of us have been involved in our families, and I suspect 

his will continue. 

Our thoughts are with the family today. We are never prepared for such a day. That is why many of us perhaps are 

rambling on occasion in our thoughts as we collect them 

about this outstanding Senator and wonderful friend. But it 

truly is a privilege to have this opportunity on the floor of 

the Senate to pay tribute to my dear friend CRAIG THOMAS. 

I thank the Chair. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Nebraska is recognized. 

Mr. HAGEL. Madam President, this is a sad day for all of 

us. Wyoming and the Senate have lost CRAIG THOMAS. He 

was a neighbor. He was a friend. He was an individual 

whose life was committed to his country and his State. 

Often, when he would refer to my State of Nebraska, he 

would say: ‘‘Oh, yes, that State of Nebraska; that is where 

Wyoming sends all of its wind.’’ He said other things as well. 

Many times, he and Senator Enzi were responsible for stealing Nebraska’s water. Other than those obvious flaws, CRAIG

THOMAS was one of those unique individuals whom we have 

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gerated in their descriptions of this remarkable man. He, as 

has been noted, was a Marine. He was a straight shooter. He 

was born and raised on a ranch in Wyoming. When you add 

all of that up, what else could he be but a straight shooter? 

He worked hard, as has been noted here this morning. 

Chairman Lugar outlined some of his participation on the 

Foreign Relations Committee where I, too, had an opportunity to serve with him. No one was ever better prepared 

when he spoke, more knowledgeable of the subject matter, 

and more a joy to be around because he never lost the most 

important element of each of us; that is, a humanness, the 

human dynamic. He had a special humanity that is not always easy to retain in this town and in this business. But 

that is what CRAIG THOMAS was, and I think that is what 

most of us admired most about him. 

If service to America is one of America’s highest and most 

important values, then CRAIG THOMAS’s legacy speaks volumes because that was his life. Lilibet and I offer our sympathy and our prayers to Susan and to the family. He served 

with great distinction and always put others first. 

One last comment about a memory of CRAIG THOMAS for 

me. In 1996, when I was campaigning for my first elective 

office to the U.S. Senate and when there was a very legitimate question of whether I was worthy of election and 

whether I could win, CRAIG THOMAS flew over from Wyoming 

to central Nebraska and spent a day campaigning with me 

in 1996. CRAIG was the first U.S. Senator to help me, to 

come into my State, and that day I spent with him talking 

about water issues, agricultural issues, the Marine Corps, 

and service to our country inspired all who were around him. 

I noted that those ranchers and those water resource specialists and others whom we visited on that campaign tour that 

day responded to him in a way that was rather special. I 

later learned through my almost 11 years in the Senate why 

people responded to him in such a special way. 

We will miss him. He leaves our institution, his State, and 

his country better than he found them. 

Thank you. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Tennessee is recognized. 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, we will miss CRAIG

THOMAS. CRAIG THOMAS would want it to be said that he 

was a conservative. He enjoyed expressing conservative 

views on this floor. He enjoyed expressing conservative views 

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in our Energy Committee on which we served together, and 

the Senator from Louisiana and I served with Senator THOMAS. He kept his feet firmly planted on the ground in Wyoming from which his conservatism came. He obviously well 

represented the people of Wyoming because he barely noticed 

there was an election last year. When CRAIG THOMAS ran, he 

was elected by an overwhelming margin. 

CRAIG THOMAS was a conservationist. He was chairman of 

the National Parks Subcommittee during the time I served 

on the Energy Committee, and he enjoyed that very much. 

I am not a bit surprised because he took great pride in the 

fact that Yellowstone, a great, premier park—I can say that 

even though we have the Great Smokies in Tennessee—but 

Yellowstone, which has such a special place in the hearts of 

all Americans, CRAIG THOMAS took special pride in his jurisdiction of that responsibility. He was honored by the National Parks Association a couple of years ago. CRAIG THOMAS was awarded the singular honor of the National Parks 

Association for his stewardship of our national parks. 

CRAIG THOMAS was no-nonsense. That came from several 

places, I suspect. One was, as the Senator from Nebraska 

noted, he was a Marine. One was that he was a cowboy, a 

real cowboy. I saw Senator Inhofe talking about him in that 

respect. Another reason is he came from Wyoming. I see that 

Senator Enzi from Wyoming is here. Wyoming citizens, I 

have noticed, don’t waste words. They think about them before they say them, and they often don’t say them. They 

don’t feel a need to fill every vacuum with a string of words, 

which is an unusual characteristic on the floor of the U.S. 

Senate, but CRAIG THOMAS was such a person. I think, in 

fact, he grew up in Wyoming, came from Wyoming, lived in 

Wyoming, kept his feet planted in Wyoming, and helped contribute to that no-nonsense approach to life he had which enriched the Senate. 

CRAIG THOMAS was also interested in working across party 

lines. Earlier this year, Senator Lieberman and I and others 

began a breakfast on Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock for those 

Senators who had time to come, not for the purpose of passing legislation but for the purpose of getting to know each 

other better across party lines so that we could perhaps come 

to solutions more quickly in other areas. It was interesting 

to see who came to that breakfast. We all are busy. We all 

have tremendous demands on our time. We started off with 

40 Senators of both parties. Sometimes it got to be 10 or 12 

or 14. But almost every Tuesday morning at the bipartisan 

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Senators’ breakfast, CRAIG THOMAS was there, and he always 

had a contribution to make. He was there 2 weeks ago, in 

the week before our recess, which is why it was such a surprise to learn that he died yesterday, because when he was 

there, he sat quietly, but you could tell he had something to 

say, and he finally said it before he left. The subject was immigration. He had some questions, and he had some comments. He looked the perfect picture of health. He looked as 

if he would last forever. That was the last I saw of CRAIG

THOMAS. 

We are a family here in the Senate. We say that often to 

one another, but it is true. We have breakfast together, as 

we did this morning at the bipartisan breakfast or as we will 

tomorrow morning at the prayer breakfast where we will remember CRAIG THOMAS. We have lunch together, which we 

are about to do, Republicans on one side and Democrats on 

the other. We have committee hearings and meetings all day 

long and little visits, and then in the evenings, if that 

weren’t enough, why, we get together and we go to receptions for each other. That is how we live our lives here. So 

it is a surprise to us to suddenly find ourselves without 

CRAIG THOMAS, whom we saw at breakfast, whom we saw at 

lunch, whom we saw at committee meetings, and whom we 

saw in the evenings. We will miss him, but we greatly respect his presence here in the Senate for such a long period 

of time. 

When he got sick last year, we heard that he was soon 

doing fingertip pushups again. So all of us thought—at least 

I thought—well, CRAIG is going to be fine. He is going to be 

fine. But, as will be the case with each of us, in the end, his 

life has come to a conclusion. It has been a life of public service, one I greatly respect. 

To Susan and to his family, Honey and I offer our sympathy and our respect for his life. We will be thinking and 

praying for them, and we will be remembering how much joy 

our friend CRAIG THOMAS brought to the U.S. Senate. 

Thank you, Madam President. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

New Mexico is recognized. 

Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words about CRAIG THOMAS. He was 

a friend of mine and of all of us in the Senate. His death is 

a shock to this institution and to all of us. I heard the news 

this morning on the radio, as many of us did, I believe, and 

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I was genuinely shocked to hear that he had died. My last 

encounter with him was the week before we had our recess 

where I had the chance to be with him in the Energy Committee, and he was there and very much participating in 

that committee hearing. He had a great deal to say, as he 

usually did, and an interest in what was going on. 

I think the first thing that comes to my mind about CRAIG

is that he was an example of courage in the face of adversity. 

I have seen several interviews recently where I was very admiring of Elizabeth Edwards and the tremendous example 

she is presenting for the entire country about carrying on in 

the face of adversity after having been diagnosed, as she has 

been. I think the American people appreciate that, and understandably. I appreciate it, and I am sure everyone who is 

aware of her circumstance appreciates it greatly. 

The same can be said about CRAIG THOMAS. CRAIG was diagnosed with leukemia shortly before his reelection this last 

fall, and I think everybody had to know that this was not a 

minor illness that was easily overcome. CRAIG took it in 

stride. He was here working in the Senate. He went through 

the chemotherapy and he was back, regaining his strength, 

and all of us admired that. All of us admired the way he 

faced that adversity, and he did all that he could, all that 

was humanly possible, to overcome that adversity. 

I had the good fortune to serve with CRAIG on two committees, including the Energy Committee, where he was chair of 

the National Park Subcommittee. He took a great interest in 

issues affecting not only national parks but our public lands 

generally and, of course, our energy issues as well. I also had 

the good fortune to serve with him on the Finance Committee. The chairman of the Finance Committee this year 

appointed a new Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resource Tax Issues. I was fortunate to be named chair of that, 

and CRAIG was named as the ranking member. So he and I 

spent a lot of time together, both in the Energy Committee 

and in the Finance Committee, sitting in hearings and talking about the agenda of the committees and generally interacting. 

I had the other great good fortune of taking a trip last 

year that Senator Warner and Senator Levin sponsored—a 

trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, in April 2006, with CRAIG

THOMAS. CRAIG and I were both invited to be on that trip. 

So I spent time with him and interacted with him in Afghanistan and in Turkey, where we made a short stop, and also 

in London, where we met with some British defense officials. 

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Three things came through to me that I think are my 

recollection of CRAIG THOMAS: First, his decency as a human 

being. When you are with a person for a substantial period 

of time, you get a sense of their decency as a human being. 

I have spent a lot of time with CRAIG THOMAS in this Senate 

and on that trip to which I just alluded. I can vouch for his 

basic decency. He was always considerate, always civil, always concerned about the feelings of others and the reaction 

of others. 

The second characteristic I would allude to is his ability to 

ask tough questions. CRAIG liked to think of himself as a 

conservative. I would characterize him, as much as anything, 

as sort of a skeptic. Whenever the experts were telling us 

what the solution to a problem was, or what their analysis 

of a problem was, he was one who would stand back and say: 

‘‘Wait a minute, let’s question some of that expert advice and 

expert analysis that you are giving us.’’ That is very much 

needed by people in public office. You need people who will 

ask the tough questions, and CRAIG THOMAS asked the tough 

questions. 

Third is the characteristic that others have spoken of 

here—that he was a straight shooter; he was straightforward 

in his view of the issues. You didn’t have to guess what 

CRAIG thought about an issue. He would tell you, and it was 

a heartfelt view that he was expressing. So this is a very 

great loss to this Senate, to the people of Wyoming, and to 

the country. I consider him to have been a superb public 

servant. The people of Wyoming were extremely well served 

by him, the country was well served by him, and this Senate 

was well served by having him as one of our distinguished 

members. 

I extend my condolences to Susan and the family and, of 

course, to all of the people who are friends of his in his home 

State. He will be fondly remembered in this Senate. 

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). The clerk will 

call the roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. 

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

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[ 32 ] 

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise this morning with 

a very heavy heart, like all the rest of my colleagues, about 

the loss of our dear friend CRAIG THOMAS. CRAIG was an inspiration in such a quiet way to all of us, a guy from the true 

Wild West, the great State of Wyoming. He had such an easy 

manner about him that is so indicative of a lot of people who 

come from that part of the country. It was indeed a privilege 

and a pleasure to have the opportunity to serve with him. 

I had a number of interests in common with CRAIG. First 

of all, we served on the Agriculture Committee together. In 

the past 2 years, as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, 

CRAIG was one of those guys I called on from time to time 

to seek his advice and counsel because in the area of Wyoming and in the western part of the country, they grow different kinds of crops than what we grow in the Southeast. 

CRAIG was always willing to give his time to talk to me 

about the thoughts of farmers and ranchers in his part of the 

country and what we needed to do from a policy perspective 

on the Agriculture Committee relative to his farmers and 

ranchers that would also be beneficial to my farmers and 

ranchers. I cannot overemphasize the value of that kind of 

relationship with a Member of this body. 

I grew up in my law practice and in the rural electrification business. CRAIG was a strong advocate of rural electrification and the REA Program and had been involved with 

it in Wyoming for decades. We had the opportunity to talk 

about this issue and long-term policy relative to providing 

electricity and other assets to people in rural America, and 

whether it was rural Wyoming or rural Georgia made no difference. CRAIG was an advocate of making sure that people 

in rural America all across our great country had the opportunities that folks in the urban parts of America have. I had 

a special opportunity to work with CRAIG. 

Earlier, I heard folks talk about CRAIG’s love for the country and his love for the land. We were both outdoorsmen. He 

used to ride a horse a lot, and I like to shoot a shotgun at 

quail, pheasant, and a few other things that I have been 

blessed to be able to do over the years. We talked about our 

enjoyment of the outdoors on any number of different occasions. 

CRAIG was the chairman of a major committee during the 

last Congress. He was in charge of an issue that has been 

very near and dear to my State, an issue of designating 

property with a heritage designation in Georgia. I worked on 

this for about 6 years. We got right up to the brink last year, 

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and all of a sudden we ran into a roadblock. CRAIG, as chairman, said, ‘‘Saxby, here is the problem.’’ Then he went 

through it and explained the very complex side of the issue 

that I had never thought of before. 

What it made me realize about CRAIG was that he was a 

lover of the land of America, irrespective of whether it was 

in Wyoming, Georgia, or the State of New York. He wanted 

to make sure future generations had the same opportunity 

to enjoy lands as our generation and previous generations 

have had the opportunity to do. Once he explained his position to me, we again worked through the issue. It took us a 

little longer than I wanted it to, but I had to be patient because CRAIG was very thoughtful. I knew his thinking was 

the right way of thinking on any issue like this, particularly 

with the designation of heritage areas, because there are 

other connotations to it than just saying we are going to 

leave this land for future generations. 

CRAIG was such a great ally in this process. At the end of 

the day, I remember when he gave his consent through a 

unanimous consent resolution. He and I sat right here near 

one another. He used to sit right there, and he moved behind 

me here. We sat across the aisle, and we had a long conversation that night about this particular piece of property 

for which he had now come to have a great appreciation. It 

is something that Georgians and America are going to enjoy 

for generations to come, and it simply would not have happened without CRAIG THOMAS. 

Last, the desk that is right behind my desk is one of the 

more notable desks on this side of the aisle in this great institution because it is our candy drawer. His desk is our 

candy drawer. Of course, Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania 

had that desk in the two previous Congresses, and he kept 

it full of candy. CRAIG could not wait to get that desk when 

Rick left the Senate. Now, when a lot of us walk into the 

Senate door, the first thing we do is open that desk drawer 

to see what kind of candy CRAIG has put in there for us. He 

has never failed us. It was always a delight of his to be able 

to make folks happy, and this was a simple and easy way to 

encourage and get a smile on the faces of Senators as we 

walked in the door. 

CRAIG’s wife Susan is such a great lady. I don’t know his 

sons, but Susan is such a wonderful person. Again, as this 

body is such a small body, we all become friends regardless 

of our political differences. At the end of the day, we are a 

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ily in our thoughts and prayers as they go through what we 

know is a very difficult time. 

CRAIG and I also had in common the fact that we were 

both cancer survivors. I went through a process about 3 

years ago, and CRAIG was one of the first ones to come to me 

and give me his thoughts and encouragement, which I really 

respected and greatly appreciated. That is the kind of family 

thought process that we go through here. 

So as we reach this day when CRAIG has lost that last battle—and, boy, did he ever fight good ones through the years. 

He fought this one very well, too. But as we think about him 

today, knowing his love of the outdoors in our conversations 

about his riding horses—even riding horses with the Capitol 

Police on the grounds of the Capitol—I am always going to 

have those very fond memories of CRAIG THOMAS as a great 

friend, a great Member of this institution, and a truly great 

American. We know he is riding off into the sunset for a better life even as we speak today. 

With that, I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana 

is recognized. 

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I had the great privilege 

of presiding this morning. I got to listen to my colleagues 

come to the floor to pay tribute to our friend, an outstanding 

Senator and a wonderful man, CRAIG THOMAS from Wyoming. 

So many things were said this morning, but I wanted to 

add a few more. First of all, as I sat in the chair to listen 

to the tributes, I want to give a compliment to the Senator 

from Wyoming, who spoke on behalf of his colleague. I have 

heard many tributes in the 10 years I have been in the Senate but, to me, it was one of the most beautiful tributes that 

a partner and colleague has made for another. Senator Enzi 

will continue to carry on the great traditions of the State, 

and I am sure he, as we all have, will be inspired by his 

friend that we lost. It was evident in his heartfelt and beautifully executed remarks this morning. 

I wanted to rise as a Member who served with Senator 

THOMAS on the Energy Committee, someone who worked 

fairly closely with him, although we are not of the same political party, to reiterate just a few things about his character. 

This life we choose to live in public life is not the easiest 

life to live, and sometimes it is harder on our families than 

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[ 35 ] 

it is on us individually. It is a life that we choose because 

we want to serve our constituents. We believe we can do that 

job. 

I heard so many of our colleagues rise to pay tribute to the 

Senator but mention Susan, his wife, that I wanted to restate for the record how inspirational their relationship has 

been to me and to many of us. Not only did Susan wait for 

him, many times outside of this door, to greet him always 

with a smile or encouragement, they often were able to travel together as a couple, to share both the joys and the burdens of this life. I think it is a tribute to both of them and 

particularly to CRAIG THOMAS, who shared his life in such a 

special way with his spouse, which stands as an inspiration 

to us all, and Susan to him. 

I also wanted to say what a strong and steady voice, an 

unflinching champion for Wyoming he was, in fact, even in 

the twilight of his life, within the last few weeks, as was 

mentioned by some of us who were with him at the prayer 

breakfast, some of us who were with him at the bipartisan 

conference, and some of us who were with him in one of his 

last Energy Committee meetings. I recall the memory of his 

voice, although weak in body, strong in spirit, fighting for 

Wyoming, talking about coal, talking about a new energy 

policy, talking about how the country depended so much on 

the resources of Wyoming and how he was determined to 

continue to fight and provide that point of view on our committee. So on the Energy Committee we will miss him, always there, always on time, always steady, always strong, 

and never forgetting the State he came to represent and did 

so, so completely and so consistently. 

Finally, some of us have mentioned the inspiration he has 

been to us in terms of his quiet and gentle spirit, knowing 

that he was facing a very difficult time, with his time perhaps not that long to be here. As many of our colleagues 

have said, however, he never complained. He always said 

how well he was feeling and how much better and how 

thankful he was for his doctors, for his family’s support, and 

he was always thanking us for being there when we could. 

I wish to mention the strength of his spirit in having come 

to terms and making peace in his life, that God was his 

friend. He had a great faith in God Almighty. It was evident 

by the way he walked, not agitated and not nervous, not 

anxious and not afraid, but basically the quiet confidence of 

a person who was at peace with God and with whatever God 

would have in store for him. I think those of us in the Senate 

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family, for all we remember of him—as a cowboy, as a Marine, as a Senator—we will always remember the last few 

weeks of that quiet confidence of a man who knew why he 

was born and where he was going. That was our good friend 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado. 

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to 

join my colleagues in tribute to the memory of a wonderful 

friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS from Wyoming. For me, 

CRAIG THOMAS was not only a member of the Senate family, 

he was a neighbor to the north. Because of the similarities 

between Wyoming and Colorado in terms of the rural nature 

of our States, Senator THOMAS and I had the opportunity to 

work on many matters during the time we both served in the 

Senate. I wish to comment on two or three of those issues 

which were very important to us as we worked on them together. 

I always saw Senator CRAIG THOMAS as someone who was 

truly a fighter for the land, water, and people of this Nation, 

and the people of the State of Wyoming. I remember very 

clearly the debate we had in the Senate Energy Committee 

and the National Parks Subcommittee, which he chaired, 

about whether we were going to abandon the 100-year principle that had guided the conservation philosophy of our national parks. It was Senator CRAIG THOMAS who, at the point 

of the spear, made sure that the conservation doctrine of our 

national parks’ policy remained intact. 

I also remember the leadership role Senator THOMAS took 

in the last several years when there were efforts to try to sell 

off our public lands in order to make that part of the deficit 

reduction for our Nation. While he was a true fiscal conservative, he also understood the importance of the legacy of our 

public lands, protecting our public lands, and making sure 

those public lands were not used simply for deficit reduction. 

It was through his leadership that we were able to turn back 

the efforts of those who wanted to sell off the public lands 

of our Nation. 

I wish to also comment with respect to Senator THOMAS’s 

efforts for rural America. 

There are some significant differences between the Senate 

family and the House family. I think the House of Representatives, because of the makeup of that body—many of 

them come only from metropolitan and urban areas. Here in 

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our Chamber, many of our Senators represent States that 

are very rural in nature, and there are very few States that 

are as rural as that great State of Wyoming. So it was natural for Senator THOMAS to be a champion for rural America, 

and it was my honor to join with him in working on a number of other things where we stood together and said that 

the America that had been forgotten by so many, rural 

America, was never going to be forgotten on the floor of the 

Senate. It was in that vein that Senator THOMAS took a leadership role, along with our good friend, Senator Larry Craig 

from Idaho, to make sure we were doing right with payment 

in lieu of taxes so that those rural communities in the West, 

which are so dependent upon payment in lieu of taxes because so much of our land is owned by the Federal Government, that we would be providing them with the kind of 

compensation needed to keep them afloat. 

It was also in that regard that I had the honor of joining 

Senator THOMAS last year and Senator Craig in moving forward with the creation of the Office of Rural Veterans Affairs. That is because Senator THOMAS understood that there 

was a great disparity in how veterans were being treated in 

the urban-suburban areas of our society and those in rural 

communities. The fact is that the VA had done a study that 

demonstrated the great disparity in health care services that 

were forthcoming from the VA to those veterans who lived 

in the urban communities as opposed to those who lived in 

rural communities. So it was his effort and his leadership 

that helped lead to the creation of the Office of Rural Veterans Affairs. 

Finally, his work on the Agriculture Committee. When I 

think about Wyoming, a State that I often travel, a State 

where I have often worked, I think about its natural resources and I think about its people, but I also think about 

its agricultural base. Certainly, Senator CRAIG THOMAS will 

always be remembered for his great advocacy for agriculture 

and making sure we have sustainable agriculture here in our 

Nation. 

I would like to thank Senator THOMAS for the contributions he made to my State, even though I am a very new 

Senator here in this body. We worked on a number of different issues. It was through his leadership that we were 

able to hold hearings and move forward on legislation that 

created the Sangre De Cristo National Heritage Area, the 

Clark County National Heritage Act legislation, the Rocky 

Mountain National Park Wilderness Act, and the Betty Dick 

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Resident Protection Act, and I could go on and on listing a 

whole host of other matters that were moved forward because of the advocacy of Senator THOMAS. 

Last, I would say this: We get to know each other in a 

number of different ways here on the floor of the Senate and 

while working together. I fondly remember traveling with 

Senator Reid and with Senator THOMAS to Iraq and spending 

8 or 9 days with him in that troubled part of the world. I 

remember the conversations about his yearning for a more 

peaceful and stronger world, where we would create a legacy 

for our children that was a legacy of peace for the world. 

I was honored to often go to the prayer breakfast on 

Wednesday mornings and listen to the speakers. I knew 

CRAIG THOMAS was a man of faith and that he was doing the 

duty of the people of this country and the duty of the people 

of Wyoming. 

So from his neighbor to the south, I conclude by simply 

saying that I am proud of that cowboy. I am proud of CRAIG

THOMAS, and I am proud of the contributions he made not 

only to the State of Wyoming but the contributions he made 

to this Nation. 

Madam President, I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. McCaskill). The Senator 

from Wyoming. 

I am sorry, the Senator from Idaho. 

Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, today I take that comment 

with respect and honor because I am here, like many of my 

colleagues, to join in speaking about the loss of Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS, a friend from the neighboring State of Wyoming. 

Over the course of years in working with CRAIG on the 

floor of the House and here in the Senate, I must tell you 

that notice of his death late yesterday evening was a real 

loss to me and my wife Suzanne. And I say to his wife Susan 

and their four children that we stand in quiet prayer for 

strength for you through this difficult time in the loss of a 

truly marvelous American. 

The Senator from Colorado just mentioned the word ‘‘cowboy,’’ and I oftentimes, when at a gathering with CRAIG, if 

the opportunity arose where we were both speakers and I 

was to introduce him—and that happened on several occasions—I would say: And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me 

introduce the cowboy from Wyoming. And he would stand 

with a big smile on his face because he viewed that as a 

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statement of respect. I think we Westerners, who work closely together on issues that are uniquely Western, appreciate 

and understand that expression. 

CRAIG came to the House in 1989, just as I was leaving the 

House, so I got to know him then. And, of course, when he 

came to the Senate and came to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where we both grew in seniority, we 

began to work very closely together on so many issues that 

were important to the West but also issues that were important to the Nation. 

CQ, Congressional Quarterly, in its ‘‘Political Profiles of 

American Politicians,’’ said this about CRAIG, and I think it 

is so typical of the man. They said: 

While THOMAS pursues his State’s interests, he does it in a quiet, methodical way that has made him remarkably few enemies after nearly two decades in Congress. Known for his courtesy and diplomacy, even on bitterly 

contested issues, he is no pushover. 

That is the CRAIG THOMAS whom we all got to know. He 

could be tough in his position. He knew exactly where he 

was on almost all issues, and he very seldom gave ground. 

But he would give ground when he knew it would bring the 

issue to resolution. Now, I say that is the art of a talented 

policymaker, and CRAIG THOMAS, representing his State of 

Wyoming and the Nation, was truly that. 

He filled big shoes. When he came to the House, he filled 

the shoes of the departing Dick Cheney, and, of course, when 

he came over here, he filled the shoes of Malcolm Wallop, 

who was well known here as a very clear conservative and 

often very partisan Member of the Senate. But in filling 

those shoes—and more important, he brought his own 

boots—he made his own mark for his State and for the Nation. So whether it was park issues, whether it was natural 

resource issues, whether it was differences between that 

boundary line that sometimes is fairly indistinguishable out 

West between Idaho and Wyoming, CRAIG THOMAS served 

the citizens of his State extremely well. 

Oftentimes known as an open, multiple-use advocate, as 

both he and I are on the utilization of our public lands and 

their management, when it came to Yellowstone National 

Park and the Grand Teton National Park, they were something special in CRAIG’s mind. Oftentimes I would say: 

‘‘CRAIG, you are siding with the environmentalists on that 

issue.’’

He would laugh or smile and say: ‘‘Larry, nothing is too 

good in protecting Yellowstone National Park and the Grand 

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Teton. They are the crown jewels in the Nation and they are 

a major part of my State.’’

While we were very seldom in disagreement, there were 

times when there was a bump-up now and then, as is typical 

amongst all of us who serve in the Senate, even though on 

most issues we found great compatibility. 

I am one amongst all who will miss CRAIG THOMAS. He 

was a friend of long standing, a colleague. His wife Susan 

and my wife Suzanne had become good friends over the 

years, as so many of us do while working in the Senate. His 

life is taken from us and from the citizens of his State and 

from his family at a time when CRAIG THOMAS was serving 

his State and his Nation well. 

Again, to his wife and children, we are going to miss 

CRAIG a great deal in the Senate. I, personally, as a friend, 

will miss CRAIG THOMAS. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi. 

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I, too, rise today to pay tribute to our fallen friend, the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, Mr. CRAIG THOMAS. My wife Tricia and I were greatly 

saddened this morning when we rose and found out that 

CRAIG had lost his battle with this form of leukemia. The 

four of us have been together many times, socially and in 

business settings. We have had some great experiences together in other parts of the world. We were so sad to learn 

he had passed away. It was heightened by the fact that he 

seemed to have done so well after his first round of treatment. It was a great pleasure to come on the floor over the 

last couple months and see him looking better every day. He 

seemed to feel good. So I was personally excited that he was 

going to whip this thing. That was his attitude, as a true 

Marine. He was fighting a battle to win. 

He brought to the Senate a special down-to-earth Wyoming wisdom, reflective of the unique part of the country he 

represented so well. Cody, WY, where he was born, is a special place. CRAIG was the epitome of the people in that part 

of our great country. In a legislative body of sometimes 

showboats, lightning rods, and mavericks, CRAIG was an engine of the Senate. He was not flamboyant. He didn’t try to 

be. He kept plodding along, trying to find a way to get the 

right results and help the Senate do its job. 

I have learned over the years there are some people in life, 

and some Members of the Senate, who are tried and true, 

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who can be depended on no matter what the issue is. CRAIG

THOMAS was one of those. He kept the Senate on point when 

we strayed from the big picture—with his goodness, his common sense, and his affable manner. It is very easy to get 

fired up and lash out at an institution where we all come 

from so many different backgrounds and are so passionate 

sometimes about issues. But CRAIG kept it cool, kept a level 

head, and kept moving forward. When we drifted off message, when we were too much into the weeds with our competing agendas, he didn’t complain or rail or make demands 

to fix it, he rounded up several of his colleagues, came to the 

floor, and before long he had a way of helping us get back 

on track. 

His resilience and self-reliance were emblematic of the 

open range country in which he was born. He was Wyoming 

to me, in all its rugged zest for community, Nation, and 

faith. 

I was particularly interested in hearing our colleague, Senator Larry Craig, from Idaho, talk about his love of the outdoors, of Yellowstone, and his effort to preserve and improve 

that great national park. It was one of the things he truly 

did love. He didn’t talk about himself very much, but he 

spoke eloquently about the quality-of-life issues of his mostly 

rural West neighbors. He was, after all, a farmer. That is 

what he got his degree in, in college—agriculture. 

Of course, he served his country for 4 years in the Marines. That was kind of how he approached his job in the 

Senate. He came to get things done, to get results for Wyoming, and the Nation. He was on the right committees to do 

that. He was on the Energy Committee, and I tangled with 

him, one time in particular I remember, on the Energy Committee. I came away knowing that, when you get in a tussle 

with CRAIG THOMAS, you better bring your lunch because it 

will not be quick. It will take a long time to work it out. But 

work it out we did. 

He also served on the Finance Committee, where I had the 

pleasure of serving with him. He provided, again, good, solid, 

calm counsel and participation. It was that self-reliance, that 

selflessness that diverted our attention from the tragedy his 

family was facing over recent months. But that is how he 

wanted it. He was riding the Senate range, keeping us on 

the trail, and helping us to stay with the big picture, to improve the quality of life of all those we represent. 

Tricia and I extend our love, our thoughts, and our prayers 

to Susan, their children, and CRAIG’s loyal staff. We have 

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lost a solid statesman, and we will dedicate ourselves to 

keeping his spirit of goodness alive in the Senate for all of 

those to come. 

I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. 

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

Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, this is a sad time for the 

Senate. As we continue with the important business of the 

Nation, we pause for a few moments to think about our common loss of one of our kindest, most dedicated, and most 

thoughtful colleagues, Senator CRAIG THOMAS of Wyoming. 

All of us have our own private memories of our relationship 

with CRAIG. Mine is of him as a kind of silent leader, kind 

of an atypical character, if you will, in the Senate. 

When I got here 41⁄2 years ago, someone alleged—and this 

is a broad characterization—someone said: ‘‘Welcome to the 

Senate, a place that has 100 large egos and 200 sharp elbows.’’ 

I think what that person forgot to do was account for 

somebody such as CRAIG THOMAS, who was never jockeying 

for the headlines and spotlight but always focused on his 

work and quietly, every day, made a difference. 

I learned firsthand in recent months, as I began working 

with a number of Senators on this side of the aisle, trying 

to encourage their active participation in the floor debates, 

CRAIG understood it is open debate and discussion in this, 

the world’s greatest deliberative body, that protects and extends democracy. Indeed, every week as we met, Senator 

THOMAS would simply ask: ‘‘What can I do, John?’’ It is that 

fundamental desire to serve the public, the most basic and 

fundamental question of all that best characterized Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS: ‘‘What can I do?’’ 

He was a defender of American values. From his service 

in the Marine Corps to his time in the House and the Senate, he served with courage and integrity. Nowhere was that 

more apparent than in the way he served and handled his 

final illness. You never would have known that he had been 

through chemotherapy or that he was not feeling well. The 

only way you would know is because his hair had fallen out 

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as a result of the chemotherapy. It was almost back in its 

original form. But you never would know from his attitude, 

which was always upbeat, always positive, never looking for 

sympathy but simply, day in and day out, doing his dead 

level best to represent the people of Wyoming in the Senate. 

He was known as one of the people’s most staunch advocates, leading the charge against government waste and always fighting higher taxes. 

In many ways, Senator THOMAS was an example to all of 

us. In an environment that can sometimes turn too nasty, 

his friendly demeanor and his dedication to his country was 

always a reminder that public service is more than a duty, 

it is a privilege. It can be conducted in a way that does not 

turn political adversaries into personal enemies. It can be 

done without bitterness, without anger, and with dignity. 

I know CRAIG was honored to be able to represent the 

State of Wyoming and that the State of Wyoming was privileged to be served by such a man. Wyoming and the Nation 

now mourn the loss of this great Senator, this great patriot, 

this fine husband and father, and this good man. He left an 

indelible mark on the Halls of the Senate and America in 

general. He will be missed. 

For Susan and all the Thomas family, Sandy and I say to 

you, you are in our thoughts and prayers, as I know you are 

in the thoughts and prayers of countless millions of people 

all across this great land. In these trying times, we are all 

comforted by the strong faith in God that CRAIG exemplified, 

as well as the enduring legacy he left and his positive impact 

upon the Nation. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota. 

Mr. DORGAN. Madam President, I listened to my colleague from Texas. I come to the floor to add a word about 

my friend whom we have lost, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. CRAIG

was from the State of Wyoming. He was from the Northern 

Great Plains. Last evening, when I heard he had died, I 

spent a lot of time thinking about CRAIG and about this 

place. 

Most Americans see the partisanship. This is actually a 

political body, so it is not unusual there would be some partisanship. What most Americans never have the opportunity 

to see is the friendship. This is a small community of 100 

Members of the Senate, men and women who come from 

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every part of our country who are elected to serve. There is 

a great deal of friendship that exists in this Chamber, even 

in the middle of all of the politics that exists in our political 

system. 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS was an interesting and a wonderful man. I have had, especially the last 6 months, an opportunity to work very closely with him. I knew him as a Member of the House of Representatives. I knew him as a Member of the Senate and a colleague in both the House and the 

Senate. But the last 6 months we worked together, I as 

chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee and CRAIG THOMAS as vice chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. We sat 

next to each other, hour after hour, hearing after hearing, 

and I got to know a lot about CRAIG THOMAS that I had not 

previously known. 

His word was his bond. He was quick with a smile. A quiet 

man in many ways, he cared deeply about his home State of 

Wyoming and cared deeply about the future of his country. 

CRAIG was a proud son of the American West who never, 

ever forgot about the people he represented. His commitment 

to American Indians, and especially and particularly to those 

living on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, was evident as I worked side by side with him on the Indian Affairs 

Committee, as was his strong support for Indian health care 

and for all of the other services to Native Americans. 

I was pleased to have the opportunity to work with him 

and to get to know him and to admire his work. In recent 

months, of course, Senator THOMAS faced some very challenging health care issues with a very challenging illness. He 

met those challenges with courage and with grace. He never 

complained. I never heard him complain. In fact, it was just 

about 3 weeks ago at a hearing that I turned to him and 

said: ‘‘You look great. You really look terrific.’’ He said: ‘‘I 

feel good. I feel great.’’

He was a person with that kind of attitude. What a wonderful contribution to the Senate. I think all of us here will 

miss a terrific friend. 

Let me end as I started by saying this is a political body. 

I know most Americans see the evidence of that politics, so 

they see sometimes the politics and the partisanship. What 

most Americans never have the opportunity to see is the 

friendship that exists on the floor of the Senate. Yes, even 

between those who from time to time are adversaries in debate but who understand each other and are friends with 

each other. 

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I had the privilege of working with Senator THOMAS for 

many years in the House and in the Senate, and particularly 

in the last 6 months as chairman and vice chairman of the 

committee. I will miss him dearly. I considered Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS a friend. My thoughts and prayers today are 

with his wonderful family as well. 

Madam President, I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas. 

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I join my colleagues in 

paying tribute to our friend and colleague, Senator CRAIG

THOMAS. I always said if I got into a tough situation—using 

the allegory, a gunfight on Front Street in my hometown of 

Dodge City, KS—I would want CRAIG THOMAS by my side. I 

also knew that he would be there. 

In that regard, it was only 2 weeks ago that he and Susan, 

his wife, corralled a group of supporters for me and we 

talked about his personal battle. He was confident. As Senator Dorgan has indicated, he looked good. And we joked 

with him of no longer being a member of the folliclely challenged caucus. 

His turn for the worse and sudden passing comes as a 

great shock to all of us. We served together in the House 

where, as in this body, he was always a voice of reason, a 

man of trust, decency, and commitment. 

I do not know of anyone who did not like or respect CRAIG

THOMAS. In this day of rough and tumble public service and 

the Congress overflowing, it seems, in a cauldron of partisan 

discontent, CRAIG transcended all of that. 

In the end, the only thing any of us who have the privilege 

of public trust has going for us is our word. CRAIG THOMAS

set the gold standard in keeping his word and our trust and 

our admiration. 

The Senate, Wyoming, and our Nation have lost a steady 

hand and a man who did much for his special State. He was 

dependable in the finest sense of the word. He never sought 

the center ring or the spotlight; that was not his style. He 

was the epitome of a workhorse, not a show horse. 

I remember and I treasure our times together, especially 

when I first came to the Senate. We both agreed the length 

of a conversation does not tell anything about the size of the 

intellect. We also agreed that no matter who says what, you 

should not believe it if it does not make sense. CRAIG made 

sense. He did not need decorated words to make his meaning 

clear. He spoke Wyoming, and Kansas for that matter. 

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CRAIG would take the floor during morning business, and 

in his calm, reasonable manner then discuss an issue of the 

day. And you sort of had to sit on the edge of your seat and 

lean forward, and as they say in his beloved Marine Corps, 

listen up. He talked softly, he talked low, he talked slowly, 

and he said a whole lot without saying too much. 

To some of us in this body he was, and is, a fellow Marine. 

In this case, Semper Fidelis, always faithful, is most appropriate. As I said, if anyone faced trouble in their life, the one 

person you would want by your side would be CRAIG THOMAS. I shall miss him greatly as a personal friend, confidant, 

and supporter. 

Both of the offices I have occupied in the Senate were previously occupied by CRAIG. I just thought if they were good 

enough for CRAIG, I would fit right in. There is a short book 

by Bix Bender called, ‘‘A Cowboy’s Guide to Life.’’ In it, he 

describes the code of the West and urges men of this common background to write it in hearts, to stand by the code, 

and that it would stand by you. Ask no more and give no less 

than honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, and fairness. 

Madam President, CRAIG THOMAS embodied that code. 

Now, while our minds are full of sorrow and our hearts certainly heavy with his loss, CRAIG would not want that. In 

this regard, the words of Helen Steiner Rice come to mind 

as our thoughts and prayers are with his supporter, friend, 

and his wife Susan; his sons, Patrick, Peter, and Greg; and 

his daughter Lexie. 

When I must leave you 

for a little while, 

Please go on bravely 

with a gallant smile 

And for my sake and in my name, 

Live on and do all things the same. 

Spend not your life in empty days, 

But fill each waking hour 

in useful ways. 

Reach out your hand 

in comfort and in cheer, 

And I in turn will comfort you 

and hold you near. 

Bless CRAIG THOMAS. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas. 

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, we did not think, 

coming back to the Chamber a week after we had all gone 

our separate ways back to our States, that we would come 

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back with one of our Members not here. There is a drape 

over CRAIG THOMAS’s chair and a beautiful flower arrangement. 

But all of us who go through the day-to-day workings of 

the Senate, working with our constituents at home, the pressures which we all know we feel being 24/7 in a job that we 

love, but we all know the stresses and strains and therefore 

we bond because of the similarity of experience. So when we 

all said goodbye at the end of last week, we did not expect 

to come back and have one fewer Member. So I want to rise 

today to express my sadness for the passing of Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS and to express my deepest sympathy for his 

wife Susan, their family, and the people of Wyoming. 

Senator THOMAS served in Congress for 18 years, 6 years 

in the House and 12 years in the Senate. He had just been 

reelected to his third term. But his service to the United 

States did not begin when he came to the Nation’s Capital. 

It began in the Marine Corps, where he served from 1955 to 

1959. Then he went back to Wyoming to work at the Wyoming Farm Bureau and then the Rural Electric Association. 

Later, he began a career in public service, winning an election to the Wyoming House of Representatives. Five years 

later he won a special election to succeed then-Congressman 

Dick Cheney as a Member of the U.S. House, and 5 years 

after that in 1994, then-Congressman THOMAS won election 

to the Senate. 

CRAIG THOMAS used his real-life, rural background to 

champion a positive agenda for America’s rural community. 

As a former chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, 

CRAIG THOMAS authored legislation to provide funding and 

management reforms to protect America’s national parks in 

the 21st century. 

He was honored by the National Parks and Conservation 

Association with their William Penn Mott Jr. Park Leadership Award. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator THOMAS was instrumental in vital issues 

such as Social Security, trade, and tax reform. He was cochair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. 

These are impressive accomplishments, but Senator CRAIG

THOMAS, the man, was just as impressive. Every time I 

called CRAIG to fill in for me when I was vice chairman of 

the Republican Conference, he was there. He was on the executive committee as the vice chairman of the conference. 

CRAIG was the one I turned to the most to chair a meeting 

if I could not be there. He would talk on the Senate floor 

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about the specific issues that we were wanting to focus on 

at the time. 

He was so well liked by everyone in this Chamber. I cannot imagine anyone ever saying they did not like CRAIG

THOMAS. His wife Susan is a very special lady as well. She 

works with children who have disabilities. She has made 

that her lifelong mission. She is so loved and respected in 

the teaching community for the great work that she has 

done. 

So when all of us learned about CRAIG THOMAS’s illness 

late last year, we all thought: Gosh, he is going to be a fighter. He is going to do so well. And he did. He did do well. He 

fought it with immediate chemotherapy. He came back with 

less hair than he started with in the month of November, 

but we knew, as we were watching him progress, that he 

was looking better and better and his color was getting better and better. Then when we all left last week, some knew 

he was going back for another round of chemo. Many of us 

did not know. But no one in our body realized how serious 

it was. 

Yesterday, God did call him home. At the moment that he 

was called, his wife Susan; his sons, Patrick, Peter, and 

Greg; and his daughter, Lexie, were all there with him. So 

our prayers shift now from recovery to comfort, and we hope 

his family knows and the people of Wyoming know what a 

mark he made on this body. He will be remembered, and he 

certainly is where the angels are because of his good nature 

and his good deeds. We wish Susan and the family our condolences and our best wishes, and we hope all of us will be 

able to have the good memories when time begins to heal. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas. 

Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 5 minutes. 

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

Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, I join my colleagues in 

expressing my heartfelt condolences to Susan, the entire 

Thomas family, and the people of Wyoming over the passing 

of our dear friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. We have lost one 

of the truly great statesmen from this body who always had 

a kind word and a smile for me in the hallway or here in 

the well or in this body and anyone else he came across durVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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ing the day. He had a wonderful way of calming people down 

and making people feel at home. I personally felt a kinship 

with Senator THOMAS. Our offices were not merely located in 

the same corner of the third floor of the Dirksen Building, 

we were neighbors in every sense of the word. We also had 

the distinction of serving together on both the Senate Finance and Energy Committees. Not a day would go by that 

we didn’t share a ride in the elevator or cross pathways in 

the hall or stand and visit with our staffs together. 

We also both came from rural States with similar needs, 

and we worked together to address many of the same issues 

the citizens of Wyoming and Arkansas face. As one of the cochairs of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, Senator THOMAS

was a true leader and a fighter, consistently fighting to improve access to health care for rural communities, especially 

for seniors. We worked on several issues together to make 

sure our rural constituents had a voice on health care and 

many other important issues. Senator THOMAS and I also 

were delighted to work together to improve tax fairness for 

the numerous disabled veterans who served our country with 

dignity and honor and call Arkansas and Wyoming their 

home. 

Senator THOMAS was a tireless advocate for Wyoming and 

fought to ensure that the interests of his State were always 

protected throughout the legislative process. I can’t tell you 

how many times I saw different constituent groups from Wyoming lined up in the hallway to visit with their very respected Senator. He was always accessible and always made 

time for folks who traveled so far to see him. But he also 

made time to visit with those who were there in the hallway, 

oftentimes my constituents or staff members. He was never 

in too big of a hurry that he couldn’t stop and take the time 

to visit with someone, to share with them a kind word or listen to what was on their mind or in their busy schedule. 

He has a tremendous staff. They all reflect the Senator’s 

good nature. Working with his staff so closely in the neighborhood of the third floor of Dirksen, they exemplify the 

courage and kindness of this incredible Senator they have 

served. 

He was a tremendous public servant, and he served our 

Nation courageously as a U.S. Marine. He was a true gentleman and one of the kindest and most genuine people you 

would ever meet. 

I am truly saddened by the loss of my friend, and my 

thoughts and prayers are with his dear wife Susan and the 

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entire Thomas family. This Senate body, the State of Wyoming, and the American people have been truly blessed by 

his life and his service. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota. 

Mr. CONRAD. I ask unanimous consent to speak about 

the passing of our colleague. 

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

Mr. CONRAD. Madam President, I was deeply saddened 

to learn last night that Senator THOMAS had lost his courageous battle against leukemia. Over the years, CRAIG and his 

wife Susan have become very good friends to both me and 

my wife Lucy. I will greatly miss him in this Chamber and, 

more than that, as a friend. 

Senator THOMAS and I cochaired the Senate Rural Health 

Caucus. We have worked closely, along with our staffs, on 

rural health care issues. You couldn’t find a more decent and 

honorable person than CRAIG THOMAS. He is from Wyoming; 

I am from North Dakota. We didn’t always agree politically, 

but we always got along. I always felt I had a friend in 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

On health care, he and I partnered over several years to 

produce comprehensive legislation to improve reimbursement 

levels for health care providers in rural areas. During the 

legislation that passed on comprehensive drug legislation, 

there were provisions included to, for the first time in many 

years, improve reimbursement for rural providers. It is not 

well known in the country or perhaps even in this Chamber 

that rural institutions often get one-half as much to provide 

the same treatment as more urban institutions. Senator 

THOMAS and I focused on those issues in the Finance Committee. Much of the legislation that was included in the comprehensive drug legislation to for the first time address that 

unfairness in reimbursement was legislation that Senator 

THOMAS and I had offered. 

We spent hours and hours together agreeing on the elements of these legislative packages. Our staffs worked closely together. They became friends. 

This week we were planning to introduce together the latest version of our comprehensive rural health care legislation. This week will be a poignant one for me and my staff 

as we consider what might have been. 

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In the Senate Finance Committee, CRAIG and I worked 

closely together on other issues that are important to our 

States. We had a shared interest in the impact of trade on 

U.S. agriculture, whether it was unfairly subsidized foreign 

sugar or the Japanese and Koreans unfairly blocking exports 

of American beef. We also shared a deep interest on energy 

policy because Wyoming is an energy State, as is North Dakota. We worked together to boost transmission capacity and 

to support clean coal technologies and to develop coal to liquid fuel technologies. 

I can tell you CRAIG THOMAS was a determined and principled Member of this body. He had real convictions. They 

were never far from his heart. CRAIG THOMAS was somebody 

who cared deeply about the people of Wyoming and the people of this country. He also was someone who could understand that others might have a different point of view. While 

CRAIG THOMAS might not agree with you, he was willing to 

listen. He was always willing to debate, but to do it in a gentlemanly way. I knew many times when CRAIG and I were 

debating legislation we were going to introduce, there were 

simply places he wasn’t going to go. He was not going to go 

against certain deeply held principles. But he was willing to 

have a discussion about how we might accomplish the goal. 

That is something I admired deeply about CRAIG THOMAS. 

He was a tenacious advocate for improving health care for 

the many rural communities in his State and across the 

country. He was a fierce fighter for the people of Wyoming. 

Nobody could ever doubt that. He brought that same 

strength and tenacity to his fight with leukemia. Although 

he must have been in pain in the last several weeks, he 

never let it show. In fact, one of the last conversations I had 

with him was right here in the corner of this Chamber. I 

asked him how he was doing. He was upbeat and positive. 

I sensed he was on the mend. So it was a real shock to me 

to find out last night that we lost him. He continued to the 

very end to pursue his goals with courage and strength and 

as a true gentleman. We will miss CRAIG THOMAS as a friend 

and a colleague. We will miss that wry sense of humor. We 

will miss his ability to find amusement in the daily workings 

of this body. 

Most of all, we will miss his quiet smile and that twinkle 

in his eye, because all of us know that is the CRAIG THOMAS

who became our very good friend. 

Lucy and I express our deepest condolences to Susan and 

to his four children and to the larger Thomas family. We also 

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take this moment to express our condolences to his very 

dedicated, loyal, and highly competent staff. CRAIG THOMAS

had around him people with the same qualities he demonstrated, people of quiet dignity and people of real competence who worked very hard for the people of Wyoming 

and this country. 

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

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

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I thank the distinguished presiding officer for allowing me to come over at this 

point in time. I shall take but a few minutes to address the 

Senate and the American public about the passing of a dearly beloved colleague with whom I and other Members of this 

great Senate have shared a friendship through the many 

years. 

Each of us is deeply saddened at the passing yesterday 

evening of this valued friend and colleague. I first came to 

know him in 1995, when he took the seat of Malcolm Wallop. 

I had known Malcolm Wallop very well, still know him quite 

well. He was a very strong-minded, able, tough U.S. Senator, 

tough in the sense that he was a man of resolute convictions. 

We wondered who would take his place. CRAIG THOMAS

took Senator Wallop’s place, and I think even Senator Wallop, were he here today to address the Senate, would agree 

he has followed in the footsteps of many great Senators who 

have come from the great State of Wyoming. 

He also served as a Marine officer from 1955 to 1959. He 

entered as a private and was released as a captain. I say, 

with a sense of humility, I entered the Marine Corps as a 

private and parted, many years later, as a captain. Therefore, we had a special bond. 

But he was able, through the years, to carry on I think one 

of the great attributes of the Corps—taught to all of us—and 

where I failed, he succeeded. I used to have a nickname for 

him. I called him ‘‘Ramrod.’’ He did not have to say ‘‘I was 

a Marine’’ because you could tell by the way he walked, the 

way he carried himself, and the way he had his chin always 

projecting. That is the way we were taught in the Marines. 

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It fell by the wayside with this humble Senator, but it never 

left the posture of that great Marine and great Senator. 

As Marines served over the past 5 years on the tip of the 

spear around the world, all of our Marines, particularly in 

Iraq and Afghanistan of recent, it was helpful for the Senate 

to have Senator THOMAS’s perspective in looking out for our 

Marines in a very special way. 

He was very active in the Marine Caucus, meeting for 

breakfast at 0800 in the morning, getting together, talking 

about years past, years present, and years in the future. 

Each year, the Commandant of the Marine Corps would 

come over, and, quite understandably, the job fell to Senator 

THOMAS, which he loved, to introduce the Commandant of 

the Marines. 

I refer then to our Marine Corps Hymn, which all of us 

sing. And I quote one stanza: ‘‘Our flags unfurl’d to every 

breeze, From dawn to setting sun.’’ The Sun has set on this 

great Marine, and that is how I shall always remember him. 

Whatever the challenges facing us in the Senate, he was 

steadfast, unruffled, and committed to the task at hand, like 

the Marine he was and always will be in our memories. 

It is interesting, another characteristic of Marines—our 

good friend, Conrad Burns, being one, and to some extent 

myself—we tend to be rather gregarious, somewhat undisciplined and rough and ready. But Senator THOMAS was a very 

quiet man, very introspective in his thinking, with a smile 

on his face. But he could project his persona without some 

of the other attributes we Marines pride ourselves in. 

He chaired the Senate Rural Health Caucus. I am a member of that caucus, and I stop to think—I do not know how 

many are members of it—it was an effective caucus. We got 

together particularly on issues of medical care and how, 

through the past decades, that care has shrunk in the rural 

areas because of the lack of young men and young women 

going in and practicing medicine and accepting the hardships and indeed the less pay the rural areas have. But he 

left his hallmark trying to encourage better medical care in 

those regions which are in every State of our Union. 

We both loved fishing. How many times we talked about 

trout fishing. He always said to me: ‘‘John, I have a very special stream, almost untouched, largely unknown, but I will 

take you there someday, and you will experience a trip you 

will never forget.’’ I have missed that trip. 

His constituents, his loving family, and, above all, his wife 

Susan, are in our thoughts and prayers. I ask colleagues to 

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stop and think on those evenings when we got our evening 

engagements and we were, fortunately, going to be accompanied by our wives, that Susan would stand watch at the 

door of the Senate. I can see that spot. As you approach the 

Chamber, it is on the left, right there next to the column. I 

would always see her and wave a ‘‘hello.’’

So I say to her and her family, thank you for sharing in 

our lives the richness of the life of your CRAIG THOMAS. 

From one Marine to another, I simply say: ‘‘Fair Winds 

and Following Seas to you, sir. Semper Fi.’’

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I am deeply saddened at 

the passing of my dear friend, Wyoming’s senior Member, 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS. We have lost a truly dear and courageous member of this body, whose absence will be felt. I had 

the pleasure of serving with Senator THOMAS for many 

years, both in the U.S. House of Representatives and here in 

the Senate since his election in 1994. I found him to be a 

true statesman, of great character, with a passion for serving 

others. 

He grew up on a ranch in Cody, WY, and never forgot his 

roots, as he continuously advocated for rural communities 

and our natural resources. He graduated from the University 

of Wyoming with a degree in agriculture, and served our 

country proudly for 4 years in the Marines. 

During his tenure in Congress, he forged a distinguished 

legislative record on issues as diverse as public land management, agriculture, fiscal responsibility and rural health care. 

It was a great pleasure and honor to serve with Senator 

THOMAS on the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, 

both when he was chairman and I was the ranking member, 

and most recently, when our roles were reversed this Congress. Working with Senator THOMAS was a joy and privilege 

due to his positive and optimistic attitude. We were able to 

accomplish many notable things during our tenure together, 

as we always worked in a bipartisan manner, putting the 

needs and challenges of the parks and public lands before all 

else. 

I also had the privilege of working with Senator THOMAS

on the Indian Affairs Committee. As the ranking member of 

the committee, he took seriously his responsibility to address 

the needs of our country’s indigenous people. Knowing of the 

challenges faced by our Native communities throughout the 

country, he worked tirelessly to improve their quality of life. 

I extend my heartfelt condolences and deepest aloha to 

Senator THOMAS’s wife Susan and their four children. They 

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should be proud that he lived a full and purposeful life, and 

had a positive impact on the lives of so many. He will be 

sorely missed. Our prayers and support are with them as 

they walk down this difficult path. 

Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, words cannot express 

how sad I am that my good friend CRAIG THOMAS passed 

away last night. We will all truly miss his tenacious advocacy on issues, his incredible sense of humor, and his upstanding character and integrity. The Senate will not be the 

same without him. 

I have known CRAIG for almost 20 years. I first became 

friends with him when we both served in the House of Representatives. We continued our friendship in the Senate, 

where I had the great fortune of serving with him on both 

the Senate Finance and Senate Energy Committees. 

CRAIG was a tireless advocate for Wyoming issues. He was 

an effective leader in energy, public lands, tax, trade, health, 

and rural community issues. We stood side by side on many 

issues, and I always felt we could accomplish any project because I had CRAIG by my side. 

He and I worked closely on energy issues in both committees. CRAIG was skilled at keeping his eyes on the details 

that mattered to the people back home in Wyoming. Recently, we worked together on a small issue in the landmark 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 that he helped craft. We learned 

that western coals, because of their naturally low sulfur content, would be excluded from certain clean coal programs for 

failing to remove the high percentage mandated by the bill. 

This was one of those little things that slipped by many people but not CRAIG. We have already fixed the problem in the 

Tax Code and are now working to do the same in the Energy 

Committee. It was the little things he did for the people of 

Wyoming that made him such a great Senator for his State. 

CRAIG also pushed to make sure that both his State and 

the Nation had an effective energy policy. Just a couple of 

weeks ago, CRAIG and I sponsored an amendment during 

markup of the Energy Committee biofuels bill to attempt to 

push coal-to-liquids technology into reality. THOMAS believed 

this would help both the people of Wyoming by providing 

more jobs and cheaper energy costs and would help the Nation by reducing our reliance on Middle East oil. And although this amendment failed in committee, his dogged determination showed through because he planned to continue 

fighting this issue on the Senate floor. 

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My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Susan and his 

children, Lexie, Greg, Patrick, and Peter. They have shown 

incredible courage and strength the past few months. 

I am honored to have known Senator THOMAS. He impacted all of our lives and will be sorely missed. 

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I appreciate this 

consideration. I realize we must move to the legislation before us, the issue of immigration, but I wanted to take just 

a few minutes this afternoon to stand in tribute to my friend, 

to our friend and colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

I think it is fair to say that this is very difficult for all of 

us here in the Senate. It has been described that we are a 

family. We are friends. My neighbor Senator THOMAS and I 

have sat on this back row together for this past year. I sit 

next to him in the Energy Committee. I sit next to him in 

the Indian Affairs Committee. He is a friend and a man 

whom I will miss very deeply. To learn this morning of his 

passing leaves me truly with a hole in my heart. I can’t 

imagine the depth of loss the family and his wife Susan are 

feeling at this point. 

We recognize that we were privileged to serve with a truly 

incredible man. I haven’t served with him as long as many 

of my Senate colleagues. I came to know him really from a 

very personal perspective. I was fascinated with the fact that 

he is a true cowboy. I have always kind of thought that cowboys never die. He was claimed by a very terrible disease, a 

very terrible cancer, leukemia. Alaska mourned the loss of a 

young woman just last year who was claimed by leukemia. 

She was a world-famous dog musher. In Alaska, we say dog 

mushers, real famous dog mushers never die, either. So, 

again, my heart is very heavy. 

When I got up this morning and saw on my BlackBerry 

the news of Senator THOMAS, there was a second BlackBerry 

message that came to me from one of the pages who served 

here in the Senate just last fall. She was one of the winter 

pages. I was very touched by the note she sent to the head 

of the page program, and she forwarded me a copy of it as 

well. I want to read just a paragraph from her e-mail to me 

because I think it reflects how Senator THOMAS touched the 

lives of so many—not just his colleagues and not just the 

people of Wyoming but a young 16-year-old page from Alaska. She wrote: 

My class and I witnessed some of the stages of Senator THOMAS’s sickness, but we never witnessed him getting upset or angry because he was 

feeling down and overtired due to his symptoms and treatments. 

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Senator THOMAS was a cheerful man, always smiling and personable, even 

when he was not being approached. He did not have to address us at all; 

we were pages, mere peons in the infrastructure of what we know as the 

Senate. Yet, every time he entered the Senate, he warmed the room with 

his smile and a warm glow that protruded gently from his kind eyes. When 

he would speak to us, he did so with the utmost respect and thoughtfulness, 

truly treating us as equals. He never looked down on us, and I believe that 

is why his memory has stayed with me and will continue to do so in the 

future. 

What made Senator THOMAS remarkable, aside from all this, was that at 

the end of the day when we were at our lowest point and we felt so tired 

we couldn’t help but frown, he was the one that no one ever caught frowning. He was a great Senator, and from what I have had the chance to witness firsthand, a great man. I am deeply sorry for this loss, and I hope that 

this e-mail will attest to that. His actions and his kindness were not lost 

on us. 

This was signed: 

With utmost respect and deepest sincerity, former U.S. Senate Page, Lily 

George from Anchorage, AK. 

I thought it important to share that e-mail with my colleagues because, again, Senator THOMAS was one who generated warmth with everybody he reached out to, whether 

they were pages or Senators or people in the airport. We will 

miss him very deeply here in the Senate. 

Mr. BOND. Madam President, today we pay tribute to 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS, whom we unfortunately lost to cancer last night. 

Our thoughts, prayers, and sympathy go out to his wife 

Susan and their children during this difficult time. 

I had the opportunity to work closely with Senator THOMAS on the Environment and Public Works Committee. 

He was a leader in the energy, agriculture, water resources and agricultural issues that affected his State. 

I highly respected his low-key, behind-the-scenes manner 

of getting things done. 

He was forward looking: he believed that ‘‘clean technologies’’ were a solution both to environmental pollution 

and to our dependence on foreign oil. 

On the Finance Committee, he was a dependable vote for 

fiscal sanity, tax simplification and cutting spending. 

It is said around here that there are ‘‘workhorses’’ and 

‘‘show horses.’’ By that measure Senator THOMAS was certainly a workhorse. He did not aggressively seek the limelight. Instead he worked quietly and diligently, with integrity, to get things done for Wyoming. 

We will miss his knowledge, competence, and his friendship. 

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Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, I am deeply saddened 

by the death of my friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS of Wyoming. 

CRAIG THOMAS was a popular figure in his home State of 

Wyoming, winning a third term last November with 70 percent of the vote. He was known both at home and in Washington as honest, hard-working, decent, and effective. 

He came to the Senate in 1989 through a special election 

to fill the vacancy left by Dick Cheney, who had been named 

Secretary of Defense. He won that race with 52 percent of 

the vote. By the year 2000, Senator THOMAS’s popularity had 

soared, and he won reelection with 74 percent of the vote—

one of the largest margins of victory in Wyoming history. 

Senator THOMAS’s record of public service reaches back 

well before his tenure in the U.S. Senate. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served 5 years in the Wyoming Legislature, and 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

His positions on the Finance Committee, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Environment and Public 

Works Committee allowed him to be an advocate for issues 

such as conservation and fiscal conservatism. He was a 

champion of issues of concern to rural America such as affordability and access to quality health care services. 

Senator THOMAS’s home State of Wyoming is not unlike 

my State of Mississippi, and we often worked side by side on 

issues that face our States. He fought to improve the quality 

of life for the people of Wyoming and was a strong advocate 

for the agricultural sector of our economy. He was tireless in 

urging the importance of public land management and conservation of our natural resources. 

CRAIG THOMAS will truly be missed in the U.S. Senate. He 

reflected great credit on this body. It is my hope that the 

spirit of fairness and decency he represented will continue to 

be mighty valued in the Senate as a mark of our continued 

appreciation of him and his exemplary service to our Nation. 

(At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement by Mr. 

Obama was ordered to be printed in the Record.) 

Mr. OBAMA. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute 

to a dear colleague and a tireless advocate for the people of 

Wyoming, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

Muhammad Ali once said, ‘‘Service to others is the rent 

you pay for your room here on Earth.’’ Senator THOMAS paid 

his rent in full. 

No truer to his State could a man be than CRAIG THOMAS

was. Born and raised on a ranch outside of Cody, WY, he 

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grew up in the Wyoming public school system, attended the 

University of Wyoming, served as vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, and general manager of the Wyoming 

Rural Electric Association. He served in both the House and 

Senate and returned to his State every weekend, visiting 

hometowns and parks, never losing sight of his constituents 

and their needs. 

His commitment to this country led him to serve with 

great distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 

1959. Before being elected to the U.S. Congress, he held office for 5 years in the Wyoming State Legislature, where he 

got his start in politics. And throughout his distinguished political career, CRAIG THOMAS became known for his leadership on issues so critical to the well-being of Wyoming, 

issues like rural health care access, fiscal responsibility, and 

the protection of our Nation’s park lands. As cochair of the 

Senate Rural Health Caucus, he urged Congress to continue 

its support for rural health programs like the Community 

Health Centers Program, which provides services to over 16 

million people living in underserved areas. This is only one 

of the many legacies he leaves behind. 

I am sorry I could not have served longer with Senator 

THOMAS. My memories of him are as a kind, quiet, and humble man. He commanded enormous respect from us all, and 

had a clarity of vision that did not go unnoticed. In the face 

of a life-threatening illness, he returned to work this year 

with the conviction of a cowboy who knows that if you get 

thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on. 

His courage throughout this tremendous battle will continue 

to inspire those of us who follow him. 

On this sad occasion of his passing, Michelle and I extend 

our deepest condolences to the members of his family, especially his wife Susan and his four children, to his staff, and 

to the people of Wyoming. I join my colleagues and fellow 

Americans who are praying for them and mourning their loss 

during this time of grief. 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President. I rise to honor the 

memory of Senator CRAIG THOMAS, who passed away last 

night, Monday, June 4, at National Naval Medical Center in 

Bethesda, MD. 

I knew Senator THOMAS—as we all did—as a quiet gentleman, and a dedicated advocate for the people of Wyoming. 

My heart goes out to his wife Susan and to their four children. 

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Senator THOMAS died of acute myeloid leukemia, which he 

had been fighting for several months. 

All of us are familiar with Senator THOMAS’s courage, because we saw it here, in the Capitol, and on the floor of the 

Senate. 

He came here to do his duty, even though he was fighting 

a disease that would ultimately take his life. That is the 

mark of true courage—not at all surprising, coming from this 

son of the American West. 

Senator THOMAS was raised on a ranch near Cody, WY. He 

attended public schools, and graduated from the University 

of Wyoming at Laramie, earning a degree in agriculture. 

After college, he served 4 years in the Marine Corps. Then 

he went on to become vice president of the Wyoming Farm 

Bureau, and general manager of the Wyoming Rural Electric 

Association. 

He served 5 years in the Wyoming State Legislature. In 

1989, he was elected to the House of Representatives in a 

special election to replace Dick Cheney, who had been named 

Secretary of Defense. He was elected to his first term in the 

Senate in 1994. 

Senator THOMAS was reelected to his third term last year, 

with 70 percent of the vote. 

Here, Senator THOMAS was a strong voice for the people of 

his home State. 

This included working to improve health care opportunities for rural families, work he pursued as a senior member 

of the Senate Finance Committee, and as cochair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. 

Senator THOMAS served as chairman of the National Parks 

Subcommittee, and his work was recognized many times by 

the National Parks Conservation Association. 

The organization honored him with its William Penn Mott 

Jr. Park Leadership Award, and with the National Parks 

Achievement Award. 

I had the distinct pleasure of working together with Senator THOMAS on some issues close to my heart. 

Earlier this year, he was part of a bipartisan coalition that 

joined with me, and with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, to 

extend the sale of the breast cancer research stamp, which 

has raised $54.9 million for breast cancer research. 

Last year, Senator THOMAS joined with me to cosponsor 

legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to His 

Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his 

message of compassion and peace. 

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And Senator THOMAS and I collaborated on a plan to use 

Wyoming Powder River Coal to produce cleaner electricity, 

which would be sold to Western States, including California. 

Senator THOMAS served Wyoming and the Nation well. He 

will be greatly missed. 

Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute 

and bid farewell to my colleague and friend, my neighbor 

from the great State of Wyoming, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

CRAIG brought a quiet dignity to this august Chamber. He 

was a Senator with the heart of a cowboy. We all knew that 

he would rather have been on horseback in the Wyoming 

prairie than in Washington, DC, but this was where the people of Wyoming needed him to be. Indeed, all citizens of 

America benefited greatly from his presence in Washington, 

DC. 

CRAIG was the champion of rural America. He quietly but 

tirelessly fought for the hard-working people of rural America, the people who provide us with food and energy, the 

woolgrowers, the cattlemen, and the farmers. If ever there 

were a question on agriculture, CRAIG was the man to see. 

During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, we all relied heavily 

on Senator THOMAS’s expertise and leadership on agriculture, rural development, and many other important topics 

debated by this body. 

We served together on the Senate Finance Committee 

where he would often entertain us with his stories and experiences. I truly enjoyed listening to him and hearing about 

his great State of Wyoming. CRAIG had a way of dealing with 

the complex issues facing the Finance Committee that was 

very direct and meaningful. He had a way of distilling the 

complex tax, trade, and health care issues down to their core 

and ensuring that real people, with real concerns were addressed by the policies created in the Finance Committee. 

I have had the distinct privilege of sitting next to CRAIG

in committee meetings, in briefings, in lunches, on the floor, 

and in several other settings, and I can tell you he was always a gentleman. He was always a caring legislator, and he 

was always a true and loyal friend. 

CRAIG earned great stature and prestige in the time he 

spent as a leader in the U.S. Marine Corps, the Wyoming 

Farm Bureau, the Wyoming State Legislature, the U.S. 

House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate. I am honored 

to have served beside him for so many years in the Senate, 

and I will miss my friend dearly. 

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I join with my colleagues in offering my condolences to 

Senator THOMAS’s family, especially his widow, Susan. My 

thoughts and prayers are with them on this day as we 

mourn the loss of a great Senator but celebrate the life of 

our great and dear man. The people of Wyoming will certainly thank Susan and the rest of the Thomas family for 

sharing their beloved CRAIG with them, and I believe the entire Nation would join with me in thanking Susan for sharing her great husband with us. He represented the good people of Wyoming in such a capable and dignified manner, and 

I know they are going to miss him. In fact, the entire Nation 

is going to miss him. 

In this instance, I believe it is appropriate to quote the beloved cowboy song and say to CRAIG, ‘‘Happy trails to you, 

till we meet again.’’

Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I was deeply saddened to 

hear of the sudden passing of my colleague from Wyoming, 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS. The loss we all feel at his passing 

is tempered by the happy memories I have of working with 

him on so many issues of mutual interest. His efforts and his 

leadership on the panels on which we served together—the 

Senate Finance Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee, 

and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee—will 

remain foremost in my memory. I particularly admired his 

staunch advocacy for the needs of rural communities and 

farmers. CRAIG brought a special passion and expertise to 

issues affecting ranching families. His focus on their unique 

needs spanned the trade, economic, environmental, and public lands management issues of rural communities. 

CRAIG brought to Congress his vision for the needs of Wyoming and rural States, and he became a strong advocate of 

effective resource and energy policies. I am pleased to have 

partnered with him in applying technologies to improving 

our Nation’s energy generation. Although he lived his life 

modestly, he became a leader in national park stewardship, 

and the American people owe him a debt of gratitude for his 

promotion of the underserved National Park System. I also 

appreciated his long and thoughtful counsel on ways to update the Endangered Species Act. 

In recent months, CRAIG took a prime role on the Finance 

Committee in working to simplify the Federal Tax Code and 

improve entitlement and health care assistance to the least 

fortunate. As one who took to heart the importance of protecting the taxpayers’ dollars, CRAIG was a strong proponent 

of restoring the sustainability of our Nation’s welfare system. 

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And CRAIG understood that economic development in rural 

States like Wyoming was inextricably linked to trade promotion that ensured open and fair markets abroad. I will 

miss his stalwart and consistent advocacy for farming communities as the Senate considered trade legislation. 

As a man who represented a small State in population, 

CRAIG towered large over the landscape of thoughtful conservative Members of Congress. I think a fitting tribute and 

legacy to our late friend would be to adopt his resolution 

making July 28 National Day of the Cowboy. My thoughts 

and prayers are with CRAIG’s family and friends. I will miss 

my good friend and colleague. 

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, last night, the State of 

Wyoming lost a fine statesman and a true gentleman with 

the passing of Senator CRAIG THOMAS. Senator THOMAS was 

a strong advocate for his State and its interests. He fought 

hard for his priorities, and I especially admired his tireless 

advocacy for our Nation’s beautiful parks and wilderness. He 

also worked hard for the priorities of rural Wyoming and indeed all of rural America, fighting hard to improve health 

care infrastructure. 

Senator THOMAS dedicated his life to serving his country 

and his State. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, he joined the Marines and began his long career of 

service. Even when faced with his final battle with cancer, 

he continued to fight on for Wyoming and serve with distinction. 

But the Senate lost not only an outstanding advocate but 

a wonderful person. More than anything, I will remember 

Senator THOMAS as a man who carried himself with dignity 

and who treated all of his colleagues with respect, despite 

party differences. More than any debate, committee hearing 

or piece of legislation, it is his warm smile that I will remember most. I know he did a fantastic job representing the 

State of Wyoming, and I am honored to have known and 

worked with him. 

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends 

during this difficult time. 

Mr. BYRD. Madam President: 

I saw the sun sink in the golden west 

No angry cloud obscured its latest ray. 

Around the couch on which it sank to rest 

Shone all the splendor of a summer day. 

And long though lost to view, that radiant light 

Reflected from the skies, delayed the night. 

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Thus, when a good man’s life draws to a close, 

No doubts arise to cloud his soul with gloom, 

But faith triumphant on each feature glows, 

While benedictions fill the sacred room; 

And long, long do men his virtues wide proclaim 

And generations rise to praise his name. 

It is with deep sorrow—deep sorrow—that I note the passing of our colleague Senator CRAIG THOMAS of Wyoming. He 

was my friend. He always passed here and I would say: 

‘‘How are you doing today, Cowboy?’’

First elected to the Senate in 1994, Senator THOMAS was 

twice reelected to the Senate by some of the widest margins 

in his State’s history, one time reaching 75 percent of the 

vote. It is hard to beat that. 

As has already been mentioned today, he was one of the 

very few people from Wyoming to have represented his State 

in both houses of the Congress, over there and over here. 

Here in the Senate, I found him to be a most considerate and 

patient colleague. He was always willing to step aside for another Senator who sought recognition. He was a nice man, 

a very quiet man with a radiant smile, staying out of the 

spotlight, working behind the scenes, always ready to cooperate and work with others for the good of our country. He was 

a good, decent human being. 

Yes, we represented different political parties. Yes, we 

sometimes held different political views, and we came from 

vastly different parts of the country, but we shared important common interests and objectives. With his State of Wyoming being the No. 1 coal-producing State in the Nation and 

my State of West Virginia being No. 2, I always appreciated 

his support for clean coal technologies and legislation that 

promoted the use of coal. I always appreciated his interest 

in and support of our country’s beautiful and magnificent national parks. As chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 

he sponsored legislation that both protected and promoted 

these national treasures. 

Just as this former Marine dedicated his life to his country, he dedicated his career in the Senate to improving the 

quality of life for rural America. As cochairman of the Senate 

Rural Health Caucus, he worked tirelessly to improve the 

quality of rural health care. He was truly a fine Member of 

this institution and a great American who will be missed by 

his colleagues, certainly by me, and by the people of Wyoming. 

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I express my sincere condolences to his wife Susan, to his 

sons and other members of his family, to his staff, and to the 

people of Wyoming. All of us will miss Senator THOMAS. But 

we will always retain our very fond memories of him, CRAIG

THOMAS. Bless his soul. May God bless him. 

I repeat these few verses in his memory: 

Let Fate do her worst, 

There are relics of joy, 

Bright dreams of the past, 

Which she cannot destroy; 

Which come, in the night-time 

Of sorrow and care, 

And bring back the features 

That joy used to wear. 

Long, long be my heart 

With such memories filled, 

Like the vase in which roses 

Have once been distilled; 

You may break, you may shatter 

The vase, if you will, 

But the scent of the roses 

Will hang round it still. 

Goodbye, CRAIG. I will miss you. But we will meet again 

on that far shore where the roses never wither and the flowers never fade. 

Mr. KYL. Madam President, I am going to have a statement printed in the Record, but I did wish to say something 

this evening before the evening is over about our colleague, 

CRAIG THOMAS. CRAIG was a wonderful friend of all of us. In 

my case, being a fellow Westerner, I had a special affinity for 

CRAIG. He was a fellow I could talk to—without talk. Particularly a cowboy such as CRAIG can communicate with you 

in a real Western way that doesn’t require a whole lot of 

‘‘jibber-jabber,’’ as he would say. 

CRAIG was a man of the earth. He really was a cowboy, 

and a good one at that. He took that kind of set of Western 

values, of not talking a whole lot but meaning what he says 

and saying what he means, into the political life. When he 

came to the Senate, I think everyone appreciated that quality in him. 

By the way, I would say he reminds me of my colleague, 

the Senator from Alabama, in that regard. You never have 

any doubt about where the Senator from Alabama stands 

and you never had any doubt about where Senator CRAIG

THOMAS stood. That is a quality we need in our public officials today. 

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CRAIG’s wife Susan is a wonderful friend of mine and of 

my wife Carol. Our hearts go out to her and their family tonight. But she does have, at least, I think, the solace in 

knowing that people all over this country—not just from 

their home State of Wyoming—have tremendous respect for 

the achievements of her husband CRAIG and the way in 

which he handled himself as a Member of the Senate, never 

letting an ego take over what he understood to be his primary responsibilities. 

He was quiet and he was humble. He was serious and he 

was very hard-working. He stood up for the interests of the 

people of his State. He was a great patriot for the United 

States of America. But he never took himself so seriously 

that he gave even a hint of pomposity or being someone who 

didn’t understand where he was grounded. 

We will miss CRAIG THOMAS immensely. We will never forget him as a loyal friend, a patriot, and someone who was 

quintessential in the way he represented his area of the 

United States and, in particular, his constituents in the 

State of Wyoming. 

I thank the Senator from Alabama. 

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, I thank Senator Kyl for 

his good remarks. I thought perhaps tomorrow I would have 

the ability to focus on our loss, but I will attempt tonight to 

say a few words about our colleague, CRAIG THOMAS. I loved 

CRAIG THOMAS. He was a person who came from the West. 

He understood where he came from. He understood the values with which he was raised, and he reflected those daily 

in his work in the Senate without ever bragging about it or 

talking about it. People just knew it. He was a man of character and integrity, a man who, as Senator Kyl indicated, 

never allowed personal ego to interfere with his commitment 

to serve his constituents and his Nation. 

We had a visit to Iraq together not too long ago. Things 

had not been going well. He would ask penetrating questions. He would ask: ‘‘When are the Iraqis stepping up and 

how much are they doing so? How long do we continue to put 

our troops at risk if they are not carrying their load?’’

He did it in a way that was sincere and raised fundamental questions of great importance. 

CRAIG liked issues. He believed in a series of principles 

that made America great. He cared about those principles. 

For a time, he volunteered to come to the floor and be a part 

of a message team for the Republican Senate Members and 

spent a good bit of time at it—over a year or two. During 

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that time he would articulate the basic premises and values 

that I think are fundamental for the Republican Party and 

for most Americans. 

I would say to our wonderful friend Susan, our prayers 

and our sympathies are with you. We can only imagine the 

loss you have sustained. We have watched in these past 

months the courage that CRAIG had displayed as he suffered 

from the terrible disease that he had. We saw the strength 

that he had, his refusal to stay at home, his determination 

to be at work. I had several examples of it in which I talked 

to him, and I said it is not necessary for you, you need to 

rest up. He knew he was susceptible to infection. But he was 

determined to fulfill his responsibilities as a Senator and he 

did so in a way that all could be proud. 

He ran the race and he fought the fight. He served his 

country with great skill and ability. Our respect and love is 

extended to the family and our prayers are with him and the 

family. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida. 

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I am aware of 

the hour of the recess, and I will be very brief. But I wished 

to come and express my condolences to the family of Senator 

THOMAS and to share for them, spread upon the pages of the 

Congressional Record, the fact that a faithful member of the 

weekly Senate prayer breakfast was Senator THOMAS. 

The gathering is private, Senators only. All Senators check 

their egos and check their partisanship at the door and join 

together as friends in a spiritual setting. 

What a delight it was for this Senator to share that 

collegiality with Senator THOMAS on a weekly basis in the 

proceedings of the Senate. For that friendship, that 

collegiality, I am especially grateful. 

Madam President, I yield the floor. 

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS 

SENATE RESOLUTION 220—HONORING THE LIFE OF SENATOR 

CRAIG THOMAS 

Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 

Akaka, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Allard, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, 

Mr. Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mrs. 

Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Burr, 

Mr. Byrd, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, 

Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 

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Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, 

Mr. CRAIG, Mr. Crapo, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, 

Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Ensign, Mr. 

Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. 

Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. Hutchison, 

Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. 

Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. 

Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lott, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Martinez, 

Mr. McCain, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, 

Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. 

Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. 

Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sanders, Mr. 

Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, 

Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, Mr. 

Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, 

Mr. Webb, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. RES. 220 

Whereas Senator CRAIG THOMAS had a long and honorable history of public service, serving in the United States Marine Corps, the Wyoming State 

Legislature, the United States House of Representatives, and the United 

States Senate; 

Whereas Senator CRAIG THOMAS represented the people of Wyoming with 

honor and distinction for over 20 years; 

Whereas Senator CRAIG THOMAS was first elected to the United States 

House of Representatives in 1989; 

Whereas Senator CRAIG THOMAS was subsequently elected 3 times to the 

United States Senate by record margins of more than 70 percent; and 

Whereas Senator CRAIG THOMAS’s life and career were marked by the best 

of his Western values: hard work, plain speaking, common sense, courage, 

and integrity: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That—

(1) the United States Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep 

regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable CRAIG THOMAS, a 

Senator from the State of Wyoming; 

(2) the Senate mourns the loss of one of its most esteemed members, Senator CRAIG THOMAS, and expresses its condolences to the people of Wyoming 

and to his wife, Susan, and his 4 children; 

(3) the Secretary of the Senate shall communicate this resolution to the 

House of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of Senator CRAIG THOMAS; and 

(4) when the Senate adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned as a further 

mark of respect to the memory of Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the Senate now proceed to consideration of S. Res. 220, 

which was submitted earlier today. 

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The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution. 

The assistant legislative clerk read S. Res. 220. 

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider 

the resolution. 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, 

and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. 

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

The resolution (S. Res. 220) was agreed to. 

The preamble was agreed to. 

ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. TOMORROW 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, if there is no further business today, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate 

stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 220, as a 

mark of further respect to the memory of our late colleague, 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

There being no objection, the Senate, at 8:53 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. 

WEDNESDAY, June 6, 2007 

Mr. REID. . . . This week, we have conducted four rollcall 

votes, adopted four other amendments by voice vote, and we 

probably would have done more but for the unfortunate 

death of our colleague and friend, Senator THOMAS. Yesterday morning, in memory of our friend, we decided not to 

work here, and that was the right thing to do. This morning, 

we have two more votes that are scheduled . . . 

We do a lot of business in this body by unanimous consent—in fact, most everything. The cloture vote is scheduled 

for tomorrow morning, an hour after we come into session. 

We can change that. It is my hope that we can finish the 

[immigration] bill this week. I am very confident we can. 

I personally feel an obligation to go to the funeral in Wyoming. CRAIG THOMAS was a Republican with whom I worked 

very closely on a number of issues, and I had great appreciation and admiration for him. Out of respect for him and 

Susan, I feel that I need to go to that funeral, and I am sure 

many others feel the same way. So that is going to change 

our schedule. It is my understanding that the funeral is 

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going to be Saturday. I have notified my caucus, and I have 

explained to the distinguished Republican leader that we 

may have to work longer hours this week. But let’s try to finish this bill. . . . 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, this is my first 

time speaking on the floor since the passing of our colleague, 

Senator THOMAS. I know we are all very conscious of the 

desk draped in black across the way, next to Senator 

Cornyn. I extend my condolences to his many friends, my 

many esteemed colleagues who knew and admired Senator 

THOMAS and mourn his loss and know he will be sorely 

missed by his friends in the Senate and his friends and family in his native State of Wyoming. . . . 

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I rise to honor Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS, who, very sadly, passed away Monday 

evening. As all of us in the Senate know, CRAIG was a respected Member of this body. A number of my colleagues 

have made very kind remarks on the floor about their relationship with CRAIG. While I have not served as long in the 

Senate as have many of my colleagues who knew and worked 

with CRAIG over the years, I did have an opportunity to get 

to know him since being elected to the Senate in 2004. 

I think one of the most important things we have all witnessed with CRAIG’s passing is the outpouring of support and 

stories about the people he impacted in the Senate, in Wyoming, and across the country. 

Without question, the Senate is a lesser place today without CRAIG’s presence. One of the clearest indications of any 

politician’s popularity is his or her support back home. 

CRAIG’s leadership as the senior member of the Wyoming 

delegation was overwhelming—primarily due to the confidence he earned from his constituents back in Wyoming. 

That confidence was something he fought to keep since first 

being elected to Congress back in 1989. 

CRAIG’s battle with leukemia was very indicative of the 

way he led his life and how he worked on behalf of his State 

and our Nation. I also believe if his diagnosis hadn’t been 

made public following his reelection last November, I doubt 

anybody would have known of the battle he waged as he underwent his chemotherapy treatments. 

CRAIG did timeless work on behalf of the citizens of Wyoming and our Nation. His absence from the Senate will be 

greatly felt. Kimberley and I are deeply saddened by CRAIG’s 

passing and extend our prayers to Susan and her family. 

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CRAIG’s hard work over the years on behalf of Wyoming and 

our Nation is a testament to his character and gives all of 

us something to strive for. 

CRAIG THOMAS was a man of the people. He was a Wyoming original. He represented the very heart and soul of the 

people of his State and of our Nation. He personified hard 

work and integrity. He was a ‘‘what you see is what you get’’

kind of a guy. Wyoming and America are a better place because of his service. 

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise to join the many 

Senators who have paid tribute to our colleague CRAIG

THOMAS. Many of my colleagues have come to the floor since 

Senator THOMAS’s passing, and it is clear how many friends 

he had in this Chamber and how well everyone thought of 

him and the work he did. 

We all knew him as a hard-working Member of the Senate 

who quickly earned his colleagues’ respect. That respect was 

grounded in the way CRAIG THOMAS served his country 

throughout his life. He spent 4 years in the U.S. Marine 

Corps and served in the Wyoming State Legislature, the U.S. 

House of Representatives, and since 1995, the U.S. Senate. 

During his years in the Senate, Senator THOMAS served 

Wyoming with great dedication. Raised on a ranch, Senator 

THOMAS understood the concerns of rural Americans, and I 

appreciated his efforts in the Senate to stand up for the people who keep our rural communities strong. That is an important concern in my State, and I know it is in Wyoming 

as well. 

I was very pleased to work with him to improve competition and fair treatment for farmers and ranchers. I know 

that he was committed to giving farmers and ranchers a fair 

shake in the marketplace, and his constituents appreciated 

that dedication. 

Senator THOMAS also worked on a range of health care 

issues important to rural Americans. He well understood the 

challenges that people in rural areas face as they seek access 

to health care services and helped to address those concerns. 

The Senate benefited from his leadership as cochair of the 

Senate’s Rural Health Caucus, where he showed tremendous 

commitment to these issues. He led the push to maintain full 

funding for several rural health discretionary programs, and 

I am grateful for his efforts. That was just one of the many 

ways he contributed to the work of the Senate and served 

the people of Wyoming. 

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As we remember Senator THOMAS, we can all be grateful 

for the life he led and his outstanding service to the Senate 

and to our country. To his wife, his family, his staff, and his 

many friends, I offer my condolences and my deepest sympathies. 

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise to join others in 

paying tribute to a wonderful colleague, Senator CRAIG

THOMAS. Tragically, last night, he lost his battle with leukemia. I want to send my heartfelt condolences to his wife 

Susan, his children, Patrick, Greg, Peter, and Lexie, and to 

his staff. 

Since January, I had the pleasure to serve with Senator 

THOMAS on the Finance Committee. I found him to be a 

hard-working Senator and very concerned about his constituents’ struggling to get health care in rural areas. 

I also had a chance to work with him last year on the 

Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act. This legislation sets up a process whereby the National Park Service 

would work with the State of Michigan to create a lighthouse 

tourist trail. 

As my colleagues know, he was chairman of the National 

Parks Subcommittee, which had jurisdiction over this legislation. During consideration of this bill, he was helpful to me 

and the people of Michigan even though these lighthouses 

are thousands of miles away from his home. He held a hearing on this legislation, worked with me to get it to the floor 

and ultimately to the President’s desk. 

On behalf of the people of Michigan, we appreciate his support of this legislation. 

Senator THOMAS was a wonderful man—kind and decent 

to everyone. We will all miss him. 

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, with a combination of 

great sadness and admiration, I join my colleagues in honoring the life of CRAIG THOMAS, a person of strength, passion, and integrity. 

Those who have had the blessing of traveling to the State 

of Wyoming appreciate its amazing beauty and variety. 

CRAIG THOMAS reflected the geography of his State. He could 

be as peaceful and serene as Wyoming’s rolling prairie grass 

lands, and he could be as striking and powerful as its majestic mountains. 

Growing up, he learned the creative dynamic of frontier 

life: rugged individualism joined with an ethic of neighborhelping-neighbor when the need was great. 

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In this sometimes stuffy and frustrating Washington 

world, he was a fresh breeze of unconventionality. He maintained his Wyoming vision of life throughout many years in 

this city, and the people of Wyoming deeply appreciated his 

strong immunity to the political disease called Potomac 

fever. 

CRAIG THOMAS lived a very meaningful life and made the 

State and country he loved a better place in which to live. 

From his young days as a Marine to his last days as a Senator, his heart was service and he put everything he had into 

making a difference for generations to come. 

Because of his service here, our national parks are a legacy that will be passed to future generations in better shape 

than he found them. Because of his fiscal conservatism, 

fewer dollars of debt will be passed on to our children. Because of his vision and integrity, a model of public service 

will be available to those who come after. 

Laurie and I send our prayers to the Thomas family. We 

thank them and the people of Wyoming for sharing Senator 

THOMAS with the Nation. 

Every one of us on this floor can learn a lesson from his 

life and remember CRAIG THOMAS by living the values and 

commitments he taught us. 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, when CRAIG THOMAS

passed away on Monday evening, the U.S. Senate lost more 

than a Member; our institution has lost a good man and a 

good friend—someone who was proud to be called an American cowboy. Sharon and I extend our deepest sympathy to 

his wife Susan, his family, his friends, his staff, and the people of Wyoming whom he served with such complete dedication. 

Over the last few years, I worked closely with Senator 

THOMAS. I came to know him well and came to respect him 

enormously. We both represented small, rural States with 

critical constituencies—his most emblematic being the farmer, mine the miner. We both maintained a deep commitment 

to our home States. Perhaps most important, we both had a 

history of public service. 

Throughout our careers, I would say that we had a very 

good partnership. We served together on the Senate Finance 

Committee and fought to make this country more independent of foreign energy, to promote the development of 

clean coal technologies, and to preserve the rural American 

lifestyle. 

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Through it all, I greatly liked and admired Senator 

THOMAS and appreciated him for the fine human being he 

was. He was a man of strong principle, one who knew the 

bottom line and didn’t hesitate to consult his colleagues on 

the other side of the aisle. What I will remember most about 

him, however, wasn’t his ability to work with his so-called 

foes or our tough fights in the Senate, but for his deep affinity for the beauty of this country. 

In fact, over the years, when I have traveled to Wyoming 

and looked up at that towering, earthly skyline of the Grand 

Tetons, I have often thought of CRAIG. 

CRAIG, after all, was perhaps one of the people who shared 

my deep love of the Grand Tetons. It was in those mountains 

and the Gros Ventre that we found a common bond. Together, we exchanged our marvels about the Alpine Lakes, 

the cutting glaciers, wind-swept glaciers and sparkling rivers. 

I will never forget his advice on enjoying the beauty of 

Jackson Hole or his stories about long horseback rides or 

camping in the cool shadows of the mountains. I will never 

forget his interest in the wildlife and his appreciation for the 

foliage. Nor will I forget how passionately he protected the 

autonomy of the park, and how much he cherished the culture and beauty of his home. 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS held my deepest respect; and, to 

his family and the people of Wyoming, I offer my deepest 

sympathies. He was a valuable public servant, a true fighter 

and a friend—and, more than anything, a true American. 

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 

our colleague, our friend, and a great statesman, Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

It is a somber day in the Senate Chamber as we mourn 

this loss. 

His passing leaves a significant mark on the many lives he 

touched throughout his life. On behalf of myself and my wife 

Annette, I send my deepest sympathies to his wife Susan, 

his four children, and the entire Thomas family. 

CRAIG was an influential force in the Senate for the people 

of Wyoming, as well as a thoughtful leader on national 

issues. 

CRAIG served the people of Wyoming with distinction and 

honor. 

His roots in the State ran deep, and Wyoming had no 

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servative while focusing on the unique issues affecting the 

American West. 

He was honest, humble, good natured, and loyal. It was 

these characteristics that he brought to the Senate and to 

his work. He was an effective leader because he believed you 

could get a lot accomplished when you did not care who took 

the credit. 

CRAIG was committed to the values and principles he believed in deeply. He loved his State, and it showed. He was 

committed to protecting our Nation’s natural resources, improving the lives of those in rural America, and a leader in 

advocating a sound national energy policy. 

It was my true privilege to have served with CRAIG over 

the past 13 years in the Senate. While we continue to mourn 

his passing, we should try to carry on with the same determination and energy he brought every day to the challenges 

he faced. 

He will be remembered as a dedicated American, a Marine, a public servant, and the quintessential American cowboy who gave so much of his life in service to the Nation. 

I offer my thoughts and prayers to those close to CRAIG in 

this difficult time, especially to his family. 

THURSDAY, June 7, 2007 

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it is with a heavy 

heart that I rise today to honor the service and memory of 

my friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS of Wyoming. His exemplary service in the Congress over the past 18 years is a 

shining example of the good that can be accomplished for the 

public benefit. A 1955 graduate of the University of Wyoming, Senator CRAIG THOMAS demonstrated considerable 

leadership early in his life; he entered the Marine Corps 

soon after graduation and rose in rank from private to captain in just 4 years. Following his service, Senator THOMAS

returned to Wyoming to make a difference in his native 

State, serving as vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau and later as general manager of the Wyoming Rural 

Electric Association. In 1984, Senator THOMAS first entered 

public service as a State representative, was elected to the 

House of Representatives in 1989, and finally ascended to 

the Senate in 1995. 

It was my honor to work with Senator THOMAS during his 

Senate career. He was a firm believer in compromise and biVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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partisanship. This was no more evident than when he and 

I introduced legislation to protect taxpayer privacy. We 

worked together on a broad range of issues from protecting 

consumers to stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons 

to Iran. Senator THOMAS and I shared a belief in this body 

and what it can achieve. I am very saddened by this tremendous loss, but the memory of Senator THOMAS and his good 

deeds remind us all of a long, rich life that should be celebrated, and I respectfully request that this statement be entered into the Record. 

Mr. KYL. Madam President, Senator CRAIG THOMAS was 

a wonderful friend to all of us. He was an accomplished Senator, and he was a true cowboy. It is that spirit that won’t 

be replaced in the Senate, and it is that spirit that I would 

like to remember today. CRAIG’s record in the Senate will reflect his significant accomplishments, and I wish to honor 

the quality of the man who achieved them. 

I had a special affinity for CRAIG. Not only did he and I 

come to the Senate at the same time, we had also served in 

the House of Representatives together. CRAIG came to the 

House in 1989, 2 years after I did, when he won a special 

election to replace our current Vice President, Dick Cheney, 

who had been made Secretary of Defense. 

We, of course, were also fellow Westerners, and I admired 

the manner in which he embodied the values of the West: 

the self-reliance, grit, and quiet determination of pioneers 

that shape Americans still today. 

These values were impressed into CRAIG as he grew up on 

a ranch near Cody, WY. Those values of the American West, 

instilled by the rugged landscape of Wyoming, would serve 

him well in the Marine Corps and in the Senate. 

CRAIG did not talk a whole lot, but he always meant what 

he said. He communicated in a way that didn’t require a 

whole lot of ‘‘jibber-jabber,’’ as he would say. Everyone appreciated this quality in him. You never had any doubt about 

where CRAIG stood, something our public officials could learn 

from today. 

CRAIG understood that words and rhetoric easily vanish 

from our memories. He recognized that honor is not won by 

keeping up appearances but by working hard and accomplishing what you set out to do. He understood that the best 

way to accomplish difficult things was to get busy doing 

them. To CRAIG, this was common sense, but oftentimes common sense is all too uncommon. 

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In his commonsense manner, he served the people of Wyoming who overwhelmingly elected him to the Senate on three 

occasions. CRAIG let the interests of the State guide his work 

in the Senate. He never let his ego get in the way of doing 

what was best for Wyoming and the country. 

My wife Caryll and I grieve with CRAIG’s wife Susan and 

their family. But, in our grief, we also celebrate his life. 

There is much to celebrate not only in CRAIG’s accomplishments—whether on behalf of our national parks, farmers, or 

rural families, to name only a few of his legislative priorities—but also in his character. He was a humble servant for 

Wyoming who stood up for the people of his State. Even in 

his illness, he never waivered from his duties as a legislator. 

The values of the American West are the commonsense 

values that make self-government possible. CRAIG THOMAS, 

the cowboy and statesman, embodied these values that made 

this country what it is and are needed to sustain it in years 

to come. 

Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I join with my fellow Senators 

and so many in Wyoming and throughout the country in expressing my profound sadness on the passing of my colleague 

and good friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. I also want to offer 

my most sincere condolences to his wife Susan, their four 

children, and the entire Thomas family at this most difficult 

of times. 

Today, we mourn the loss of a true patriot whose love of 

country and loyalty to its principles were always an inspiration and example to us all. A U.S. Marine captain, an advocate for rural concerns with the Wyoming Farm Bureau, 

American Farm Bureau, and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association, and an indefatigable public servant as a Member 

of the Wyoming House of Representatives, the U.S. House of 

Representatives, and the U.S. Senate—Senator THOMAS always placed a premium on bettering the lives of the citizens 

of his state, ensuring that their concerns were not only 

heard—but were addressed vigorously, effectively, and with 

results. 

I recall the distinct honor and privilege of serving with 

CRAIG for more than 17 years both in the U.S. House and 

U.S. Senate. Indeed, we entered the Senate in the same class 

of 1994, and I remember with tremendous regard our service 

together on the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Finance Committees. Time and again, regardless of the issue, 

CRAIG exhibited a stalwart dedication to his country and his 

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constituents—with a steadfast devotion that was ever mindful of the public trust placed in his hands. 

Senator THOMAS was unwavering in his allegiance to the 

tenets that guided his life. True to his core beliefs and 

unshakable in the values he drew from his beloved Wyoming, Senator THOMAS held fast to his philosophy of fiscal 

conservatism. And yet when he advanced his arguments, he 

did so without rancor and with the utmost respect and cordiality. He possessed an unyielding decorum that contributed 

to his esteemed presence in the Senate, and he had at his 

disposal that indispensable tool of politics—humor, which he 

used to great effect and at times with incredibly disarming 

outcomes. Even when we disagreed, he was never disagreeable, rather choosing to give no more than an occasional 

good-natured ribbing—always with a smile on his face. 

As my colleague Mike Enzi stated in his tribute, CRAIG

THOMAS was not one who necessarily sought the limelight. 

He lived his life and comported himself in a manner that exemplified the words President Ronald Reagan displayed on 

his desk in the Oval Office: ‘‘There’s no limit to what a man 

can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the 

credit.’’ Whether on matters of rural health, safeguarding the 

interest and concerns of farmers, or reducing the deficit, 

CRAIG focused on making concrete strides, not amassing accolades. 

In the arena of public life, regardless of trial, tribulation, 

or triumph, Senator CRAIG THOMAS remained a compassionate person of immense caliber who served the best interests of the people of Wyoming with unyielding advocacy, integrity of purpose, and uncommon civility. We will miss his 

benevolent nature, his good will, and his great deeds. Our 

thoughts and prayers are with his family and staff here in 

Washington and in Wyoming. 

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE 

At 2:58 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, in 

which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: . . . 

The message further announced that the House has agreed 

to the following resolution: 

H. Res. 454. Resolution relative to the death of the Honorable CRAIG

THOMAS, a Senator from the State of Wyoming. . . . 

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MONDAY, June 11, 2007 

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I honor a colleague, a friend, 

and a great Senator, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

No words that I can speak will ease the sadness of this 

loss. Nothing my colleagues and I say can fill the emptiness 

that his passing has left or lessen the pain that so many feel. 

I feel compelled to speak of Senator THOMAS not for the effect of my words. Instead, I speak to recognize the effect of 

his words, his actions, and his service. 

His were words, actions, and service that have improved 

the lives and futures of Americans. His words and actions 

will leave a legacy long after our sadness passes. 

Senator THOMAS represented Wyoming effectively and 

with dignity. I was proud to work with him. 

We both loved the open beautiful spaces of our home 

States, and we worked to keep them clean, safe, and sustainable. We collaborated to improve the Endangered Species Act 

and the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

We also worked to safeguard our constituents’ livelihoods—establishing the wool trust fund, keeping open global 

beef markets, and making sure that our trading partners 

played by the rules. 

We worked together to safeguard our natural resources, 

improve rural energy infrastructure, and plan for a sustainable energy future with clean coal technologies. 

These and many other accomplishments will be Senator 

THOMAS’s legacy. It is a legacy for which he deserves recognition, remembrance, and honor. It is a legacy for which our 

Nation is grateful. 

But many will remember Senator THOMAS more for who he 

was than for what he did. They will remember someone with 

a quick wit, an easy smile, and a generous helping hand. 

I will remember Senator THOMAS as I met him when he 

first joined the Senate in 1989. Back then, I recognized in 

him something very familiar. Senator THOMAS was a man of 

the American West. He embodied the values and the character of the people whom he represented. 

You always knew where Senator THOMAS stood. Like many 

in the West, Senator THOMAS was quiet, unassuming, and 

unpretentious—but he was never intimidated. 

He was gentle and decent. When he gave you his word, he 

kept it. And as we all saw in these final months of his life, 

when he had to, he could fight like hell. 

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That is the man I will miss and it is the man I wish to 

recognize today—an honorable Senator and a great man of 

the American West. 

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, this last Saturday, I traveled with my wife Nancy and many of our colleagues in the 

Senate to Casper, WY, for the funeral service of my friend 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

During the service I was particularly impressed by the 

words of Minority Leader McConnell and I would like to 

thank him for so eloquently eulogizing Senator THOMAS. So 

appropriately did his words honor Senator THOMAS that I 

hope all our colleagues in the Senate will take the time to 

read them. 

I ask unanimous consent that this transcript of Senator 

McConnell’s comments be printed in the Record. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 

printed in the Record, as follows: 

SERVICE IN HONOR OF CRAIG THOMAS, JUNE 9, 2007 

Reverend [Moore], Susan, Lexie, Patrick, Greg, Peter; distinguished 

guests, colleagues and friends of CRAIG LYLE THOMAS. 

There are people that we can’t ever imagine dying because they’re so 

alive, and there are people we can’t imagine dying because they seem so 

healthy and so strong. CRAIG THOMAS’s death is doubly hard because he was 

both of these people. But death has done its work, and so we come back to 

the place that he was always so eager to return to, to accompany him on 

one last trip back. 

It was here that he first heard his calling to serve in public life, and here 

that he first tasted the bitterness of loss. But Susan always told him, ‘‘If 

you sign up to be a cowboy, you can’t complain when you draw a raw, bucking bronco.’’ He couldn’t have imagined in those early years that one day 

he’d be known to America as the senior Senator from Wyoming. But he was 

never one to dwell on his achievements. So it falls to us, his friends, to 

speak well of this good man. 

One of the great things about this country is that so many of its leaders 

come from such surprising places: a candle shop in Boston, a cabin in Kentucky—and a one-room schoolhouse in Wapiti, WY. Senator Enzi tells me 

that the Wapiti School is still standing, but that it’s surrounded now by 10- 

foot fences and a ring of barbed wire—not to keep the kids in, but to keep 

the grizzlies out. That fence wasn’t there when CRAIG was in school. They 

were tougher then. 

CRAIG THOMAS was always the tough guy—not tough to deal with, not 

tough on others, just tough. When his family moved to Cody, he signed up 

for two sports: wrestling and football. One of his teammates on the football 

team, Al Simpson, was also his neighbor. It may be the only time in American history that two U.S. Senators grew up a block and half from each 

other. 

There was a time when it was normal for tough guys to be studious too. 

And if you went back to Cody in the 1940s, you’d find the son of Craig and 

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son’s English lessons. He’d remember and benefit from both many years 

later during hundreds of legislative battles or on countless nights by the 

campfire along the North Laramie River, reciting the ‘‘Cremation of Sam 

McGee.’’

As a young man, CRAIG would have heard about the days when an unwritten code of honesty, bravery, and chivalry governed daily life in Cody. 

And he was inspired by stories of another code of bravery that guided young 

Americans of his own day in exotic places like Guadalcanal, Bougainville, 

Tarawa, and Guam. World War II cost the Marines nearly 87,000 dead and 

wounded. But as a young man fresh out of college with his whole life ahead 

of him, CRAIG THOMAS wanted in. Fifty years later, he still proudly wore the 

anchor and the globe on his lapel. 

He was happiest when he was here, but 18 years ago history called him 

to Washington and he responded dutifully. It was anything but inevitable. 

His opponent in the campaign to replace an outgoing congressman who’s 

done pretty well himself over the last 18 years had about 99-percent name 

recognition and had just lost an election for U.S. Senate by about 1,200 

votes. The lowest point in the race was the early polling, which suggested 

that CRAIG didn’t have a chance. But over the next 40 days, the Marine and 

his staff pulled it off. CRAIG set the tone, he led the way, and he let others 

take the credit. That was his way. 

Four days after the election, CRAIG and Susan packed their bags, headed 

east, and 2 days after that CRAIG was sworn in as a Member of the U.S. 

Congress. It wasn’t the easiest transition. As soon as CRAIG got to Washington, he froze with a sudden realization—he didn’t have any suits. So he 

did what anybody from Wyoming would do. He called Al Simpson, who told 

him where to find one. 

A few months later, he had a similar predicament. He and Susan got an 

invite to the White House and CRAIG didn’t have a tuxedo. So he told one 

of his staffers to go to a dry cleaning store up the street and rent one—but 

not to worry about the shirt. When the staffer came back, she found CRAIG

in his office with a buck knife. He was cutting holes into his cuffs for where 

the cufflinks would go. CRAIG just laughed that big laugh of his, that full 

body laugh, and then went to the White House with a tuxedo shirt of his 

own making. 

The gentleman from Wyoming took an office on the top floor of the Longworth Office Building, but he didn’t get too comfortable. Some Members of 

the Senate boast about visiting every county in their State over the course 

of a year. CRAIG visited all 23 counties in Wyoming—the ninth largest State 

in America in just 2 weeks during that first August recess. He enjoyed every 

minute of it: driving west from Casper, looking out at the Wind River 

Range, and thinking about what an honor it was to serve this big, beautiful 

place he loved. 

This was his home, and he loved it. He loved the land, he loved the people. But anyone who knew him knew what his greatest love was. 

CRAIG met Susan in 1978. She was working on a statewide campaign, he 

was working for the State Republican Party, and she invited him over to 

talk about the race. When she looked out the window and saw a man riding 

toward her office on his bicycle, she turned to the woman next to her and 

said, ‘‘Now who would that be?’’ She soon found out, and thanks to her loving support, so did the rest of the country. Everything they did, they did 

together. She was with him for every race he won. CRAIG always said Susan 

was the one who liked campaigning. 

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They were like children, but they were deadly serious about their work. 

CRAIG viewed politics as a high calling, and he viewed Susan’s work the 

same way. He admired her deeply. He never failed to mention her. I remember my wife Elaine telling me after giving the commencement speech one 

year at Susan’s high school, how devoted to her the students there were. 

We honor Susan today for her devotion to CRAIG. We’ll miss seeing her 

outside the Senate Chamber waiting for him to finish up his votes. The Senate’s a lonelier, less joyful place without CRAIG. It’s already a lonelier, less 

joyful place without her too. 

The people of Wyoming sent CRAIG to the Senate in 1994, and those of 

us who’ve served with him there are grateful they did. It was the first time 

since 1906 that every statewide office in Wyoming was held by a Republican, and the credit, of course, goes to CRAIG. He led the ticket, and he 

worked tirelessly to bring everyone else along with him. 

But again, he didn’t take the credit. And the victory and the higher office 

did nothing to change the man. If there was any chance of that, Susan made 

sure to nip it in the bud. She made him hang a photo of himself falling off 

a horse. She knew the Scripture that ‘‘pride cometh before a fail’’ But CRAIG

knew it too, and he wouldn’t disappoint. He was a simple, humble son of 

Wyoming and he remained one to the end. 

He was always eager to get home. So eager, in fact, that one time when 

his Mustang broke down on the way to the airport, he left it on the side 

of the highway and hitchhiked the rest of the way. They let him on the 

plane to Cheyenne without a ticket or anything. He called his staff from the 

airport to see if someone could get the car. When they found it, the keys 

were still in the ignition. They sent his clothes on the next plane. 

We’ll never forget his toughness, his goodness, his humor, his steady reassuring hand. Nor his kindness, which he always showed toward everyone—

from Presidents to doormen. He was straightforward and honest. In a 

phrase that CRAIG might have recalled from Mrs. Thompson’s Shakespeare 

lessons, he was not a man ‘‘to double business bound.’’ His only business 

was his dut[ies]—to God, country, family, and friends. And he fulfilled them 

beautifully. 

He was strong, humble, and full of faith. And here is why. As a boy CRAIG

THOMAS looked out at the majesty of the canyons and the falls of Yellowstone and knew there is a God. As a teenager he saw the hard work and 

dedication of his parents and learned that giving is more admirable than 

taking. And as a man he could hear the rumble of the herd even from his 

desk in Washington, and know that the movements of men were nothing 

compared to the power of the wild. 

I am not a cowboy. But I’ve come to know and admire a few of them in 

my 22 years in the Senate. And I’ve come to know a little bit about their 

pastimes. I’ve heard that holding down a steer takes two kinds of ropers—

a header and a heeler, and that there’s an old saying that the header may 

be the quarterback, but that the heeler makes the money. The idea is that 

there may be more glory in roping the head, but that the heeler has the 

harder, more important, and less glamorous job. No one who knew CRAIG

THOMAS is surprised to know that he preferred to be a heeler. 

The most impressive thing in Washington is also the rarest: and that’s a 

man whose position and power has no effect on the person he was when he 

got there. I’ve never met a man who was changed less by what the world 

calls riches or power than CRAIG LYLE THOMAS. 

Now this great American life has come to an end. Yet we know it continues: This husband, father, lawmaker, mentor, and friend goes to the FaVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00090 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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ther’s house. We take comfort entrusting him to the Lord of Mercy, who tells 

us that in the life to come, every question will be answered, every tear 

wiped away. And we are confident in the hope that he will ride again, 

healthy and strong, along a wider, more majestic plain in a land that’s everlasting. 

TUESDAY, June 12, 2007 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, there is a term that is often 

used here in the Senate when Members refer to one another. 

That term is ‘‘gentleman.’’ No one fit that term better than 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS. I join with all my colleagues from 

both sides of the aisle in mourning the loss of Senator THOMAS, and in extending our condolences to his wonderful wife 

Susan and the entire Thomas family. 

In the 10 years I was privileged to serve with Senator 

THOMAS in this Chamber, I never once heard him raise his 

voice, and I never once saw him lose his temper. But that 

doesn’t mean that Senator THOMAS was not a fighter for his 

beloved Wyoming. In fact, he was a very effective advocate 

for the people of Wyoming and all of rural America. His accomplishments were not the result of shouting. They were 

the result of perseverance, integrity, and a whole lot of hard 

work. 

I was privileged to serve with Senator THOMAS on a number of committees, where I saw firsthand the scope of his interests and his effectiveness. On the Finance Committee, I 

saw how he was a champion for better health care for rural 

Americans, and I saw how he worked to open markets for 

the cattlemen, farmers, and soda ash producers of Wyoming. 

On the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he 

brought Wyoming’s unique perspective to the forefront on 

the energy debate, and, as chairman and ranking member of 

the National Parks Subcommittee, he brought the first reform overhaul to the National Parks Service in 20 years—a 

vital step in a State that is home to the Yellowstone National Park, one of the crown jewels of our park system. 

And I served with CRAIG on the Indian Affairs Committee, 

where the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of 

Wyoming’s Wild River Reservation and Native Americans 

across the country could always count on his commitment to 

improving their lives. 

Although CRAIG THOMAS spent the last 18 years of his life 

working in the corridors of the U.S. Capitol, he never forgot 

where he came from. He was a true Westerner, a straightVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00091 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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talker, and he was always just ‘‘CRAIG’’ to his constituents. 

Always at CRAIG’s side was his wife and partner Susan, who 

is a remarkable, eloquent advocate for Wyoming. The last 

several months have been difficult and challenging ones for 

CRAIG, and Susan was always there for him. 

Mr. President, my wife Sharon joins with me in extending 

our condolences to Susan, the Thomas family, and the people 

of Wyoming. I can say without hesitation that the ‘‘gentleman from Wyoming’’ will always be remembered by those 

of us who were fortunate to serve with him, and by all those 

he served with such diligence and distinction. 

WEDNESDAY, June 13, 2007 

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS 

By Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Harkin, 

Mr. Salazar, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Smith, Mr. 

Nelson of Nebraska, Ms. Snowe, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Thune, 

Mr. Dorgan, Ms. Collins, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Enzi, and Mrs. 

Lincoln): 

S. 1605. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security 

Act to protect and preserve access of Medicare beneficiaries 

in rural areas to health care providers under the Medicare 

program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance. 

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, it is with mixed emotions 

that I rise today to introduce the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2007, or R–HoPE. This proposal is the 

result of months of work with my friend and colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS, who just passed away. In fact, Senator 

THOMAS and I were getting ready to introduce this bill the 

week we lost him. 

This particular legislation is the product of work that Senator THOMAS and I have done over many years as cochairs 

of the Rural Health Caucus. So it is a poignant moment for 

me to come to the floor to introduce this bill. I am asking my 

colleagues that we name this bill the Craig Thomas Rural 

Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2007, as we pay tribute 

to the service of our colleague, Senator THOMAS. 

I can think of no better champion of rural health than 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS, and there is not a more appropriate 

way to honor his Senate career than by enacting this legislation that will carry his name. 

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As Senator THOMAS and I continually argued in this 

Chamber, Medicare shortchanges many rural hospitals and 

providers. Before the Medicare Modernization Act, rural providers received one-half the payments that urban areas received—one-half to provide exactly the same treatment for 

exactly the same illness. That was unfair. 

Senator THOMAS and I teamed up at the time to make 

changes that were in the Medicare prescription drug bill that 

began to level the playingfield, but those provisions are 

about to run out. 

I would be the first to admit that health care can be more 

expensive in urban areas than rural areas, but it is not twice 

as much. When I ask the doctors and hospital administrators 

of my State if they get a rural discount when they buy technology for hospitals, they laugh, they chuckle, they say, no, 

they don’t get any rural discount. We know now it actually 

costs more to recruit doctors to rural parts of the country 

than it does more urban settings, and we know while there 

is some cost differential, it is not a 100-percent cost differential. 

The Medicare bill, the prescription drug bill, recognized 

this disparity in reimbursement and took steps to close the 

gap. Even with the additional funding, many rural hospitals 

and providers continue to experience negative margins. 

If we are to maintain access to health care in rural areas, 

we cannot allow providers to lose 3 percent on nearly every 

patient they see. But that is what is occurring in rural 

America today. 

Congress needs to take steps to fairly reimburse rural providers for the care they provide. The Craig Thomas R–HoPE 

bill will build on the progress made in the Medicare Prescription Drug Act and add new provisions that would protect access to rural health care. 

First, the bill will fulfill the promise made to those living 

and traveling in rural areas that they don’t have to travel 

far for hospital care. The bill would also provide more reflective reimbursement for the cost of labor in rural areas. I 

should say reimbursement that more fairly reflects the costs 

in rural areas since they are often competing with more 

urban areas in the global health care marketplace. 

In addition, our proposal would provide the resources currently lacking in rural hospitals to repair crumbling buildings. It also includes two changes to the Critical Access Hospital Program and will put these facilities on a sounder financial footing. 

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[ 86 ] 

Second, R–HoPE will promise that rural Americans can 

see a doctor when they are sick. As is the case with most 

rural States, much of North Dakota is designated as a health 

professional shortage area. Recruiting doctors is extremely 

difficult. Our bill would extend the provision in current law 

that provides incentive payments for doctors who practice in 

rural areas. Third, our bill would guarantee that when there 

is an emergency, there is an ambulance there to respond. 

Many rural ambulance services are closing because of lower 

Medicare reimbursement, resulting in response times far 

above the national average. R–HoPE would protect rural ambulance services and those living and traveling in these 

parts of the country by providing a 5-percent bonus payment 

for 2008 and 2009. 

Finally, our bill takes a number of steps to help protect the 

availability of other health care providers, such as rural 

health clinics, home health agencies, and mental health professionals. This bill achieves the goal Senator THOMAS and 

I have had for a number of years, that rural America enjoy 

the same level of health care access and affordability more 

urban areas enjoy. Rural America is the heart of our country. We cannot turn our backs on these areas and their 

health care needs. 

Before I close, I also want to recognize Senator THOMAS’s 

staff member, Erin Tuggle, who has worked tirelessly on this 

legislation on behalf of rural health care and served Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS so very well. She played a key role in developing this legislation, along with my staff, and I thank her 

for her efforts. 

It is my hope this legislation, which will carry Senator 

CRAIG THOMAS’s name, will help strengthen our rural health 

care system. I can’t think of a better tribute to my friend and 

our colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

At this point, I wish to indicate that Senator Roberts is my 

leading cosponsor, Senator Roberts of Kansas, and we are 

joined by Senator Harkin, Senator Salazar, Senator Domenici, Senator Bingaman, Senator Smith, Senator Nelson of Nebraska, Senator Snowe, Senator Murray, Senator Thune, 

Senator Dorgan, Senator Collins, Senator Johnson, and Senator Enzi. I ask unanimous consent that they all appear as 

cosponsors of this legislation. 

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

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Mr. CONRAD. I should also indicate before I close that 

this bill has now been endorsed by the National Rural 

Health Association, the American Hospital Association, the 

American Ambulance Association, the American Telemedicine Association, the National Association for Home Care & 

Hospice, the American Association for Marriage and Family 

Therapy, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, 

the North Dakota Hospital Association, and the Federation 

of American Hospitals, all of them joining together to send 

a message that this legislation is needed and it is needed 

now. 

This is one way we can pay a tangible tribute to the service of Senator CRAIG THOMAS. I think all of us who knew him 

and worked with him knew him as a quintessential gentleman, and I hope very much that others of our colleagues 

will join us in cosponsoring this legislation in this tribute to 

Senator THOMAS. 

THURSDAY, June 14, 2007 

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, today I am very proud and 

honored to cosponsor legislation along with my colleagues, 

Senators Conrad, Harkin, and several members of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, to honor Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

The bill is the Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider 

Equity Act. As we all know, last week the Senate lost a 

steady hand and man who has done much for his State of 

Wyoming. CRAIG was dependable in the finest sense of the 

word. He was the epitome of what I believe a Senator should 

be. 

On a personal note, he was not only a colleague but a dear 

friend, and I will cherish that always. He was also a fellow 

Marine. In this case, Semper Fidelis, ‘‘always faithful,’’ is always appropriate. If anyone faced trouble in their life, the 

one person they would want by their side riding shotgun 

would be CRAIG THOMAS. The people of Wyoming and all of 

CRAIG’s colleagues knew that he fought for rural America 

and always put the needs of his State above all else. 

On the health care front, CRAIG was truly a champion for 

strengthening our rural health care delivery system and provided much needed relief to our hospitals and other providers in our rural areas. He served for 10 years as the cochair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. He actually took 

the reins over as cochair after my fellow Kansan, Senator 

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[ 88 ] 

Bob Dole, retired from the Senate. As I know personally, certainly, it is hard to follow in the footsteps of Senator Dole. 

But CRAIG THOMAS did this with great ease and with great 

pride. His steady leadership put the caucus on the map, and 

he made great strides in showing all of our colleagues the 

true needs of rural health care. I know the members of the 

caucus will miss him and his leadership greatly. 

One of the biggest accomplishments for CRAIG in the Rural 

Health Caucus was passage of the Medicare Modernization 

Act of 2003, which provided a big boost to our rural hospitals 

and our providers. Never before have I seen such recognition 

and support for our colleagues from all geographical areas—

large, small, urban, rural—for including these badly needed 

rural health care provisions. 

However, you would never know that CRAIG THOMAS’s 

hard behind-the-scenes work caused these rural health care 

provisions to be included in the Medicare bill. CRAIG THOMAS

was more concerned with getting the work done rather than 

taking any credit. So instead of taking individual credit for 

his hard work and dedication on the Medicare bill, CRAIG

simply applauded the entire Senate Rural Health Caucus 

and patted everybody else on the back—so typical of CRAIG. 

However, CRAIG knew that while the passage of the Medicare bill was a giant step for rural health, we still have 

much more work to do to ensure our rural health care system can continue to survive. That is why we are proud and 

honored to carry on his legacy by introducing the Craig 

Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act. 

CRAIG and his staff have worked extremely hard over the 

last 6 months, getting this bill together, working with other 

members of the Rural Health Caucus to identify their top 

priorities. I thank his health staffer, Erin Tuggle, for being 

such a champion alongside of CRAIG. I know my staff worked 

extremely closely with Erin, as many others in the Senate

staff have done. I have a great amount of respect for her 

hard work. Erin, we are proud of you and we thank you for 

everything you have done on behalf of rural health care. 

We had actually planned to introduce this legislation last 

week with CRAIG leading the charge, but now Senators 

Conrad, Harkin, and I and the other members of the Rural 

Health Caucus will do our best to lead in his absence. I have 

made a personal commitment to making sure we get this bill 

done and ultimately provide the much needed relief to our 

rural communities. 

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The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act 

recognizes that rural health care providers have very different needs than their urban counterparts and that health 

care is not one size fits all. 

The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act 

of 2007 makes changes to Medicare regulations for rural hospitals and providers recognizing the difficulty in achieving 

the same economies of scale as large urban facilities. This 

legislation equalizes Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments to bring rural hospitals in line with urban facilities. This bill provides additional assistance for small, 

rural hospitals who have a low volume of patients. Often, 

these hospitals have trouble making ends meet under the 

Medicare payment system. 

The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act 

also provides a capital infrastructure loan program to make 

loans available to help rural facilities improve crumbling 

buildings and infrastructure. In addition, rural providers can 

apply to receive planning grants to help assess capital and 

infrastructure needs. 

The bill extends to January 1, 2010, two incentive programs aimed at improving the quality of care by attracting 

health care providers to health professional shortage areas. 

The first is the Medicare Incentive Payment Program, which 

provides 10-percent bonus payments to physicians practicing 

in shortage areas. The second is the physician fee schedule 

work geographic adjustment, which brings rural doctors’

Medicare fee schedules for wages more in line with urban 

doctors’. 

This bill also recognizes that other providers play a great 

role in the rural health delivery system. Our bill increases 

the payment cap for rural health clinics to keep them in line 

with community health centers, provides a 5-percent add-on 

payment for rural home health services and provides a 5-percent add-on payment for ground ambulance services in rural 

areas. 

One of the provisions in the bill Senator THOMAS particularly championed is a provision to allow marriage and family 

therapists and licensed professional counselors to bill 

Medicare for their services and be paid the rate of social 

workers. 

Currently, the Medicare Program only permits psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and clinical nurse specialists to bill Medicare for mental health services provided 

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chiatrist or a psychologist. Marriage and family therapists 

and licensed professional counselors are much more likely to 

practice in a rural setting and are often the only mental 

health professionals available. 

Finally, this bill uses technology to improve home health 

services and quality for care by creating a pilot program providing incentives for home health agencies to purchase and 

utilize home monitoring and communications technologies 

and facilitates telehealth services across State lines. 

Mr. President, today I am proud and honored to coauthor 

this bill on behalf of CRAIG THOMAS. We all miss him greatly 

as a personal friend, confidant, and strong supporter. Our 

thoughts and prayers are with his wife Susan, his sons Patrick, Peter, and Greg, and his daughter Lexie. With this legislation, CRAIG is still with us. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

New Mexico. 

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask for 2 minutes as in 

morning business. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, 

it is so ordered. 

Mr. DOMENICI. Senator, let me say before you leave, 

first, I would appreciate it if you would add me to the legislation, and, second, I thank you so much for doing this, for 

offering this piece of legislation. That is the best we can do. 

We can’t bring him back—we can’t do much. We just hope 

everything will go well with his family, and this will be 

something that in truth indicates how much we cared for 

him and what a true gentleman he was—strong of will and 

yet very kind and decent. We want to do this in his behalf. 

Thank you for doing it. 

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I would like to associate 

myself with the remarks of the distinguished Senator from 

New Mexico, who is himself a strong champion for rural 

health care, and thank him very much for those personal remarks that are shared by every Member of this Senate. 

I thank my colleague. 

Mr. DOMENICI. I yield the floor. 

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ORDER FOR PRINTING AND SUBMISSION OF TRIBUTES TO 

SENATOR CRAIG THOMAS 

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous 

consent that the tributes to Senator THOMAS in the Congressional Record be printed as a Senate document and that Senators be permitted to submit statements for inclusion until 

June 29, 2007. 

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

FRIDAY, June 15, 2007 

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I was deeply saddened to hear 

of the sudden passing of my colleague from Wyoming, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. The loss we all feel at his passing is 

tempered by the happy memories I have of working with him 

on so many issues of mutual interest. His efforts and his 

leadership on the panels on which we served together—the 

Senate Finance Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee, 

and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee—will 

remain foremost in my memory. I particularly admired his 

staunch advocacy for the needs of rural communities and 

farmers. CRAIG brought a special passion and expertise to 

issues affecting ranching families. His focus on their unique 

needs spanned the trade, economic, environmental, and public lands management issues of rural communities. 

CRAIG brought to Congress his vision for the needs of Wyoming and rural States, and he became a strong advocate of 

effective resource and energy policies. I am pleased to have 

partnered with him in applying technologies to improving 

our Nation’s energy generation. Although he lived his life 

modestly, he became a leader in national park stewardship, 

and the American people owe him a debt of gratitude for his 

promotion of the underserved national parks system. I also 

appreciated his long and thoughtful counsel on ways to update the Endangered Species Act. 

In recent months, CRAIG took a prime role on the Finance 

Committee in working to simplify the Federal Tax Code and 

improve entitlement and health care assistance to the least 

fortunate. As one who took to heart the importance of protecting the taxpayers’ dollars, CRAIG was a strong proponent 

of restoring the sustainability of our Nation’s welfare system. 

And CRAIG understood that economic development in rural 

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States like Wyoming is inextricably linked to trade promotion that ensure open and fair markets abroad. I will miss 

his stalwart and consistent advocacy for farming communities as the Senate considers trade legislation. 

As a man who represented a small State in population, 

CRAIG towered large over the landscape of thoughtful conservative Members of Congress. I think a fitting tribute and 

legacy to our late friend would be to adopt his resolution 

making July 28, National Day of the Cowboy. My thoughts 

and prayers are with CRAIG’s family and friends. I will miss 

my good friend and colleague. 

TUESDAY, June 19, 2007 

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on behalf 

of the Bunning coal to liquid fuel amendment. This was an 

amendment cosponsored and championed by our dear late 

friend, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. If we could adopt this 

amendment and pass it into law, I think it would be a fitting 

tribute to the memory of this very fine servant of the people 

of Wyoming and of the United States. . . . 

So I urge my colleagues to give a hard look to the 

Bunning-Domenici coal to liquid fuel standard amendment. I 

would add CRAIG THOMAS’s name to that list as well. . . . 

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK EXTENSION ACT OF 2007 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it was just a few days ago when 

we heard the news that we had lost our dear friend and colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. We lowered our flags and 

joined together as a family to say goodbye to someone who 

fought for what he believed in and worked to the end to 

make Wyoming and the West better places to live. 

CRAIG is now gone, but the work he began lives on. That 

is why I am pleased to offer an amendment to S. 277, the 

Grand Teton National Park Extension Act of 2007. My 

amendment builds on the work begun by CRAIG and the efforts of Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Domenici 

who worked so hard to shepherd this bill through the legislative process. In addition, I also thank Majority Leader Reid 

and Minority Leader McConnell for bringing this bill to the 

floor so we can make one of CRAIG’s legislative goals a reality. 

It is no surprise that CRAIG worked so hard to develop, 

draft, and introduce this legislation. No one understood the 

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needs of Wyoming and the West better than he did. CRAIG

was a cowboy from the top of his hat to the tip of his boots. 

There was nothing he enjoyed more than riding a horse 

through our national forests and spending time in the great 

outdoors. 

CRAIG’s love for the wide open spaces of our State led him 

to introduce the Grand Teton National Park Extension Act 

of 2007. When it is signed into law, it will allow the Secretary of the Interior to accept the donation of approximately 

50 acres of private land that will be added to Grand Teton 

National Park. In addition to CRAIG, we have the Halpin 

family to thank for their generosity. It will truly be a gift enjoyed by the people of Wyoming and the West, and the whole 

country, by all who come to visit our national parks every 

year. 

When that land is added to Grand Teton National Park, 

it will have another little addition to it. That addition is to 

rename the visitors center the Craig Thomas Discovery and 

Visitor Center. It will provide the people with a place to stop 

and visit during their trips to Grand Teton where they can 

learn about the history of the park and the life of CRAIG

THOMAS. I cannot think of a better way to remember CRAIG’s 

life than to share it with all who benefited from his many 

years of hard work and public service. 

CRAIG dedicated his life to protecting and preserving our 

State’s natural resources, especially our parks. He was a 

tireless and true advocate for those important and precious 

facilities, and he fought for their protection when he served 

as chairman and later as ranking member of the National 

Park Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 

CRAIG had a proud history on the committee and in the 

Senate as he constantly and consistently advocated for the 

best administration and management of our park system. He 

authored legislation that provided critical funding and mandated management reforms that were necessary to keep our 

parks pristine and ensure they would be available for future 

generations to enjoy. He worked with all of his colleagues, 

regardless of their party affiliation, to increase funding for 

our parks so they could better deal with the maintenance 

backlog that exists. Now that he is gone, our parks have lost 

one of their best friends. 

Renaming the visitors center will ensure CRAIG’s legacy 

will continue and never be forgotten. As noted in a letter by 

the Grand Teton National Park Foundation: 

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Senator THOMAS championed this project since 1997. His leadership in securing an $8 million appropriation inspired the Foundation to raise $13.6 

million in private funds for the project. 

For his efforts on this and so many issues of importance 

to our national park system, the Grand Teton National Park 

Foundation supports the naming of the center after Senator 

THOMAS. 

I ask unanimous consent that a copy of their letter of support be printed in the Record. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 

printed in the Record, as follows: 

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION, 

Moose, WY, June 12, 2007. 

Hon. MICHAEL B. ENZI, 

Senate Russell Office Building, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR SENATOR ENZI: On behalf of the Board of the Grand Teton National 

Park Foundation I am writing to endorse the idea of naming the new Visitor 

Center in Grand Teton National Park after the late Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

Senator THOMAS loved the national parks and was a tireless advocate for 

them. The beautiful Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center which will 

open this summer is a model public/private partnership. Senator THOMAS

championed this project since 1997. His leadership in securing an $8 million 

appropriation inspired the Foundation to raise $13.6 million in private 

funds for the project. 

The ribbon cutting on August 11th will be a special day for everyone who 

has been involved with this project. It will also be a very sad day because 

Senator THOMAS will not be there with us to celebrate the culmination of 

years of work. 

Feel free to contact me if you require any additional information. 

Sincerely, 

LESLIE MATTSON-EMERSON, 

Executive Director. 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for 

the newly constructed Grand Teton Visitors Center is August 

11, 2007. It will be a day that will be long remembered by 

all who come to honor the memory of one of the park’s greatest champions. By passing this legislation, we are making 

that day possible and ensuring that those who attend that 

special ceremony will be the first to enjoy all the Craig 

Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center will have to offer. This 

is an honor which I know would have pleased CRAIG and 

made him very proud. I can also see him riding tall in the 

saddle of a horse, taking it all in under the brim of his favorite cowboy hat. 

Naming the visitors center for CRAIG THOMAS will also 

mean a great deal to everyone who knew and loved him. It 

will be a tribute to a special American that will last for a 

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long time to come. Many years from today, when people come 

to the park and stop by the visitors center that bears his 

name, they will know that CRAIG THOMAS was so many 

things in life—a Marine, a Senator, a rancher, and a dedicated father and husband. But most of all, they will know 

CRAIG loved Wyoming and the West and fought with everything he had to maintain our precious resources. 

I always said God saved some of his best handiwork for 

Wyoming. We are fortunate that he also gave us the best 

champion to fight to protect and preserve it all. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 41, 

S. 277. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill 

by title. 

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (S. 277) to modify the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park to 

include certain land within the GT Park Subdivision, and other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider 

the bill. 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 

the Enzi amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, 

as amended, be read a third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record. 

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

The amendment (No. 1709) was agreed to, as follows: 

(Purpose: To designate the Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center as the 

‘‘CRAIG THOMAS Discovery and Visitor Center’’) 

Strike section 4 and insert the following: 

SEC. 4. CRAIG THOMAS DISCOVERY AND VISITOR CENTER. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

(1) CRAIG THOMAS was raised on a ranch just outside of Cody, Wyoming, 

near Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, where 

he—

(A) began a lifelong association with those parks; and 

(B) developed a deep and abiding dedication to the values of the public 

land of the United States; 

(2) during his 18-year tenure in Congress, including service in both the 

Senate and the House of Representatives, CRAIG THOMAS forged a distinguished legislative record on issues as diverse as public land management, 

agriculture, fiscal responsibility, and rural health care; 

(3) as Chairman and Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

and a frequent visitor to many units of the National Park System, including 

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Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, CRAIG THOMAS

was a strong proponent for ensuring that people of all ages and abilities had 

a wide range of opportunities to learn more about the natural and cultural 

heritage of the United States; 

(4) CRAIG THOMAS authored legislation to provide critical funding and 

management reforms to protect units of the National Park System into the 

21st century, ensuring quality visits to units of the National Park System 

and the protection of natural and cultural resources; 

(5) CRAIG THOMAS strongly supported public-private partnerships and collaboration between the National Park Service and other organizations that 

foster new opportunities for providing visitor services while encouraging 

greater citizen involvement in the stewardship of units of the National Park 

System; 

(6) CRAIG THOMAS was instrumental in obtaining the Federal share for a 

public-private partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation 

and the Grand Teton Natural History Association to construct a new discovery and visitor center at Grand Teton National Park; 

(7) on June 4, 2007, CRAIG THOMAS passed away after battling cancer for 

7 months; 

(8) CRAIG THOMAS is survived by his wife, Susan, and children, Patrick, 

Greg, Peter, and Lexie; and 

(9) in memory of the distinguished career of service of CRAIG THOMAS to 

the people of the United States, the dedication of CRAIG THOMAS to units 

of the National Park System, generally, and to Grand Teton National Park, 

specifically, and the critical role of CRAIG THOMAS in the new discovery and 

visitor center at Grand Teton National Park, the Grand Teton Discovery 

and Visitor Center should be designated as the ‘‘Craig Thomas Discovery 

and Visitor Center’’. 

(b) THE CRAIG THOMAS DISCOVERY AND VISITOR CENTER.—

(1) DESIGNATION.—The Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center located 

in Moose, Wyoming, and scheduled for completion in August 2007 shall be 

known and designated as the ‘‘Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center’’. 

(2) REFERENCE.—Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 

paper, or other record of the United States to the Grand Teton Discovery 

and Visitor Center referred to in paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center’’. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as 

are necessary to carry out this Act. 

The bill (S. 277), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed 

for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as 

follows: . . . 

Mr. ENZI. I yield the floor. 

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Wyoming for bringing forward this bill on behalf of Senator 

THOMAS, who was such a force in this Chamber and especially a force on behalf of his State. It is a very appropriate 

thing to do. 

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WEDNESDAY, June 20, 2007 

Mr. WYDEN. . . . In the last Congress, for the first time in 

many years, the executives of the major oil companies—we 

are talking about Shell and BP and Exxon, the big five companies—were in front of the joint hearing I attended, a joint 

hearing of the Energy Committee and the Commerce Committee. . . . 

So what we have is essentially a time now when the companies are making record profits, and they are charging 

record prices when clearly they do not need record subsidies. 

That is what the Senate Finance Committee legislation does 

with respect to the tax provisions. I have reviewed them. 

They are clearly targeted at the major companies. They are 

not targeted at the independents and the small companies, 

and we ought to be taking steps to help them. In fact, I particularly credit our friend and colleague, the late Senator 

THOMAS, for doing extraordinary work over the years, some 

of which I was privileged to work on with him, to help those 

small independent companies. Our good friend, the late Senator THOMAS, championed that work. This is not going to affect those small independents. This is targeted at the major 

companies, the companies that, when I asked them—the first 

time they had been asked in years—admitted they did not 

need the billions of dollars worth of subsidies they were getting. . . . 

FRIDAY, June 22, 2007 

WELCOME TO WYOMING’S NEW SENATOR 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, minutes ago a new Senator for 

the State of Wyoming was officially appointed by the Governor of Wyoming, and I want to welcome Dr. John Barrasso, 

now Senator Barrasso, and introduce him to the Senate. . . . 

He is quiet but efficient and has worked across the aisle 

in Wyoming, and I am sure he will continue to do that here, 

much the way Senator THOMAS and I have done. We have always worked as a team, the Wyoming delegation, and he will 

become a very strong team member. . . . 

Of course, no one is going to be able to replace CRAIG

THOMAS, but working with John, we can ensure the representation of Wyoming in the Senate will remain second to 

none. . . . 

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MONDAY, June 25, 2007 

SCHEDULE 

Mr. REID. . . . At 3:15 the newest Member of the Senate 

will be sworn in, John Barrasso, who is an orthopedic surgeon from Wyoming. We welcome him here but with some 

degree of sadness, because you are forced to comprehend and 

think about CRAIG THOMAS whom I had such great admiration for. As I have said before, CRAIG THOMAS and I did not 

vote very much alike, but we shared a great belief in the sovereignty of our two States, two sparsely populated States, 

Wyoming and Nevada, and of course this great country of 

ours that we both have such affection for. . . . 

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me say briefly a 

warm welcome to the new Senator from Wyoming, Senator 

Barrasso. He has big shoes to fill with our departed colleague CRAIG THOMAS. . . . 

Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, all of us in the Senate 

will miss CRAIG THOMAS. I got to know CRAIG when we both 

served on the Senate Ethics Committee. During that time, I 

came to admire him as a wonderful human being, a man of 

character and integrity, and someone who spoke plainly on 

how he felt about things. 

I also admired CRAIG for speaking up at policy lunches and 

at the steering committee on so many occasions. He always 

got to the nub of the problem and never failed to tell it just 

as he saw it. On many occasions, I sensed he had a great 

frustration with the system, but he stayed in there and was 

an encouragement to many. 

When he got sick, Janet and I put him on our prayer list. 

I also looked at some health care alternatives for him in 

Cleveland, but he felt he had great care at the Bethesda 

Naval Hospital. The last time I saw him, he looked like the 

old CRAIG, full of vim and vigor. We were shocked when we 

heard of his passing. It is said that it is not the number of 

years one lives that counts but what one does with those 

years that matters. We will all miss CRAIG but know that he 

is in heaven with our Father eternally happy. 

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TUESDAY, June 26, 2007 

Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 

a colleague and a friend—someone whose presence is missed 

but whose legacy will undoubtedly endure. 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS was a Westerner through and 

through. The story of his life reflects the spirit of the West—

his work ethic, his strength of character, and his love for the 

land and resources of his cherished Wyoming. 

CRAIG’s life lessons were formed as a summer horseback 

guide, as a competitive wrestler, as a Marine, as a husband, 

and as a father. He brought those lessons with him to Washington, DC, as a Congressman and a Senator, and he never 

forgot them or strayed from them. That is clear from the 

issues he held closest to his heart. 

As a fellow Westerner, I always admired CRAIG’s commitment to being an exemplary steward of our national parks. 

His love for them probably developed during his childhood 

summers around Yellowstone National Park, but he was able 

to translate that passion into monumental improvements 

that generations of Americans will enjoy. 

He also worked tirelessly on issues impacting public land 

management, agriculture, rural health care, and fiscal responsibility—all issues that greatly benefited his constituents in Wyoming. And they understood and appreciated his 

advocacy for their well-being by electing him time and again 

to represent them in the Nation’s Capital. 

CRAIG definitely had a special presence on Capitol Hill. He 

never gave up a fight; he had a certain grit that drew others 

to him; and he loved to joke around—all tributes that led to 

his being described as a cowboy or a Western hero. 

The epitome of the American cowboy, John Wayne, has inscribed on his headstone: ‘‘Tomorrow is the most important 

thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes 

we’ve learnt something from yesterday.’’

CRAIG THOMAS treated every ‘‘tomorrow’’ as a new and exciting opportunity to make a difference for the people of Wyoming and the United States. He loved his work; he loved his 

family; and he loved life. While he is no longer serving as the 

voice of the Westerner in the Senate, his years of dedicated 

service ensured that his legacy will survive. 

CRAIG was a statesman and a leader, a fighter and a 

friend. The Thomas family, the people of Wyoming, and 

those of us who worked with CRAIG will always remember 

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the spirit of Western freedom, trusted integrity, and heartfelt kindness that he embodied. We are all fortunate to have 

known such a remarkable person. 

WEDNESDAY, June 27, 2007 

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, it has been said that we all 

have a birth date and a death date, with a dash in between. 

It is what we do with our dash that counts. 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS made his count. He was a dedicated public servant, a vigorous advocate, a compassionate 

leader, a Marine, a proud patriot. To the citizens of his beloved Wyoming and to his colleagues in the Senate, he was 

a cherished friend. 

Although my State and his are miles apart, with vastly 

different geography and history, I am struck by the similarities in the character of our people. Both the rugged Maine 

Yankee and the tough Wyoming cowboy are steadfast and 

modest. Both are determined, committed to doing what is 

right rather than what is easy. An old cowboy proverb says, 

‘‘The best way out of a tight spot is to go straight through 

it,’’ and CRAIG THOMAS always faced challenges head on. I 

have no doubt that he would have been just as at home on 

the deck of a lobster boat as he was on horseback, riding the 

range. 

As a Senator representing a large rural State, I deeply appreciate CRAIG’s devotion to preserving and enhancing a way 

of life that is such a vital part of the American spirit. His 

tireless work on such issues as agriculture, Indian affairs, 

natural resources, rural health care, and educational opportunity will help ensure a better future for people in small 

communities throughout our Nation. 

The courage and integrity with which he led his life were 

evident until the very end. Although stricken with a terrible 

disease, CRAIG always put his Nation and his State first. 

There was no time for self-pity or regret while there was still 

work to be done. He stayed in the saddle. 

CRAIG was a public man, but, first and foremost, he was 

a loving husband, a devoted father, and a proud grandfather. 

In this time of sorrow, I know that his wonderful family 

finds strength in his honorable legacy. Senator CRAIG THOMAS filled his dash with service, courage, and commitment, 

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with life and love. May his memory inspire us all to do the 

same. 

THURSDAY, June 28, 2007 

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Senator CRAIG THOMAS

was a very good friend. He served in the Senate with great 

honor and respect for the institution. 

I got to know Senator THOMAS best through the work of 

the Finance Committee. Senator THOMAS was an active and 

dedicated participant in the business of the committee from 

tax policy, to health care, Social Security and international 

trade. When I was chairman of the committee, I could always count on his diligent, steadfast and valuable involvement in the issues before us. I appreciated greatly his commitment to conservative principles and the responsibilities of 

governing. 

In particular, as chairman of the Trade Subcommittee, 

Senator THOMAS was a strong voice for opening new markets 

and opportunities for U.S. exports. He went above and beyond and engaged himself fully in efforts to achieve ambitious outcomes from trade negotiations. He demonstrated his 

commitment time and again with his own personal time and 

his personal resolve. 

Senator THOMAS was a true representative for his Wyoming constituents. He worked hard and sincerely for their 

good and for the good of our Nation every day. He will be 

missed so very much. Barbara and I extend our sincere and 

deep sympathies to his family and his staff. 

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I seek recognition to honor 

the life of my colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

CRAIG, a real outdoorsman, would say he enjoyed nothing 

more than a horseback ride through Wyoming’s spectacular 

wilderness area. Despite that, he found himself here in 

Washington, DC, working for the betterment of his home 

State and the Nation. He was outspoken on Government’s 

need to provide adequate funding for national parks, a subject he knew well as chairman and ranking member of the 

National Parks Subcommittee on the Energy and Natural 

Resources Committee. 

Senator THOMAS was also a strong defender of his State’s 

cattle industry and was a firm believer in the virtues of rural 

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sity of Wyoming, where he received a degree in animal husbandry. Senator THOMAS also served as an officer in the U.S. 

Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, achieving the rank of captain, an experience that taught discipline and reinforced his 

commitment to the United States. 

Before CRAIG came to Congress, he served as vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, and once headed the 

Rural Electric Association of Wyoming. After 5 years in the 

Wyoming House, THOMAS won a special election to replace 

Dick Cheney, who was appointed to be Secretary of Defense. 

As Wyoming’s lone Member in the U.S. House of Representatives, he had the responsibility of representing over 450,000 

constituents. CRAIG was reelected to that seat in 1990 and 

1992, a testament to his ability to serve the people of Wyoming effectively. In 1994, he ran for the U.S. Senate and 

won, defeating popular Democratic Governor Mike Sullivan 

by 20 percentage points. He was elected to a second term in 

2000 with a 74-percent majority, one of the largest margins 

in Wyoming election history. He was reelected to a third 

term in 2006 with 70 percent of the vote. 

Senator THOMAS had no doubts about who he was or what 

he represented. He was not one to pick a fight, but if asked 

how he felt about a given issue, he would be sure to give his 

typically candid and honest response. When it came to issues 

he was passionate about, such as public lands and private 

property, he left little doubt as to his priorities. As a member 

of the Senate Energy Committee, and particularly in his 

leadership of the National Parks Subcommittee, CRAIG asked 

tough questions and made strong statements about the responsibility of the Federal Government to care for the land 

it already owned; the fundamental nature of private property 

rights; and Congress’s need to consider the interplay between these principles when contemplating new national 

parks or historic sites. He was always a fair broker, and I 

found on many occasions that he would give my priorities 

fair consideration and due process. 

I very much regret that Senator THOMAS lost his battle to 

cancer. In 1970, President Nixon declared war on cancer. 

Had that war been prosecuted with the same diligence as 

other wars, my former chief of staff, Carey Lackman, a beautiful young lady of 48, would not have died of breast cancer. 

One of my very best friends, a very distinguished Federal 

judge, Chief Judge Edward R. Becker, would not have died 

of prostate cancer. All of us know people who have been 

stricken by cancer, who have been incapacitated with ParVerDate jan 13 2004 10:02 Nov 30, 2007 Jkt 036028 PO 00000 Frm 00110 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\CRAIG\36028.TXT CRS1 PsN: SKAYNE
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kinson’s or Alzheimer’s, who have been victims of heart disease, or many other maladies. I sustained an episode with 

Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer 2 years ago. That trauma, that 

illness, I think, could have been prevented had that war on 

cancer declared by the President of the United States in 

1970 been prosecuted with sufficient intensity. 

On a personal level, Senator THOMAS had an extraordinary 

relationship with his wife Susan. As many of my colleagues 

can attest, CRAIG and Susan were quite inseparable and 

quick with humor. Even as CRAIG battled with acute myeloid 

leukemia he continued to serve in the Senate with extreme 

vigor and a smile. He leaves behind many friends and admirers who have tried to emulate his courage, his tenacity, and 

his integrity. 

I extend my deepest condolences to Susan, their four children, the whole Thomas family, and his very able staff. 

Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that 

I join so many Americans in mourning the passing of my 

dear friend and esteemed colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

CRAIG served the people of Wyoming with great integrity, 

honesty, and common sense. He was a true American patriot 

and dedicated public servant who never failed to put the best 

interests of his beloved State and country above personal 

ambitions. 

CRAIG came from humble beginnings, working summers on 

his family’s dude ranch near Yellowstone National Park. He 

earned a degree from the University of Wyoming, where he 

was a respected student and accomplished athlete, and from 

there he went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. It was 

these life experiences that taught CRAIG the values of hard 

work, perseverance, and personal responsibility. These principles guided him throughout his remarkable career, during 

which he worked for the Wyoming Farm Bureau, the American Farm Bureau, and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association before winning a special election to the U.S. House of 

Representatives. 

In 1994, CRAIG was elected to the U.S. Senate, and went 

on to make his mark in a number of areas. He served with 

distinction on the Energy, Finance, and Agriculture Committees—posts he used to promote issues important to his constituents in the rural West and their quality of life. As the 

chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, CRAIG

worked tirelessly to protect America’s natural treasures, and 

as the cochairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, he 

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structure. No question, CRAIG’s numerous accomplishments 

truly speak volumes about his commitment to the people of 

Wyoming and our entire Nation. 

CRAIG’s greatest commitment, however, was to his family. 

He was unwavering in his devotion to his dear wife Susan 

and his children Peter, Patrick, Greg, and Lexie. My husband Bob and I are blessed to have known and worked with 

CRAIG, and we keep Susan and the entire Thomas family in 

our thoughts and prayers. 

CRAIG’s memory and legacy indeed live on, across Wyoming, throughout the halls of Congress, in the countless lives 

he touched, and in the public servants who follow in his footsteps. Our Nation is grateful for his many years of service 

and positive contributions. May God bless the entire Thomas 

family in this time of sorrow, and may God continue to bless 

his beloved Wyoming and this great land of the free—America. 

TUESDAY, July 17, 2007 

Mr. BARRASSO. Thank you, Mr. President. 

This is the first time I am addressing this body. I am filling the seat of former U.S. Senator CRAIG THOMAS, a Marine, a warrior, and an American hero. He was a gentleman 

from Wyoming who has left large boots to fill. . . . 

This past weekend, I was home in Wyoming. I had a town 

meeting in Douglas. I was also home over the Fourth of July. 

I had town meetings in Jackson and in Lander. I went to a 

couple of rodeos, community activities, as I am sure you do 

as well. I talked to hundreds of folks traveling around the 

State. When I went to the rodeos—whether in Casper, or on 

the Fourth of July in Cody, where I attended it with a 

former U.S. Senator from Wyoming who has served on the 

Iraq Study Group—when they ride into the arena holding 

the American flag, people stand, take off their hat, and put 

their hand over their heart. The announcer does not have to 

tell them to do that. They just do it. 

At both of those rodeos, in Casper and in Cody, they dedicated the ‘‘Star Spangled Banner’’ with a salute to CRAIG

THOMAS, former Marine. Susan THOMAS was there at both 

events and received the love of the crowd. Then, at both 

events, the announcer asked for prayers for the bravest men 

and women in the world, those who are fighting to keep us 

free. . . . 

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Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I just wanted to congratulate the 

Senator from Wyoming on the speech he gave this morning. 

It is his first speech on the floor since he arrived. It is not 

necessarily his official first speech, but it is his first speech. 

I wish to congratulate him on doing a very admirable job. He 

accurately reflected the feelings of Wyoming which he has 

collected from his extensive travels in the 3 weeks since he 

has been in office. He has held a lot of town meetings; he has 

been to a lot of places; he has listened to a lot of people. I 

also appreciate very much the comments he made about Senator THOMAS and also the tribute that has been paid to 

Susan Thomas at the events he has attended. 

I appreciate the indulgence of the Chair, and I thank my 

fellow Senator for his excellence comments. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Massachusetts is recognized. 

Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I join with the senior Senator 

from Wyoming in congratulating the new Senator, the junior 

Senator, for his comments. All of us miss Senator THOMAS. 

I had the occasion to work with him on committee. He was 

a very fair, decent person and really looked for the center 

ground here and tried to make things happen. I certainly 

hope his successor will follow in that good tradition. We 

thank him for his comments. . . . 

MONDAY, July 23, 2007 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an 

Albert Caswell tribute entitled ‘‘The Promise of THOMAS’’ be 

printed in the Record. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 

printed in the Record, as follows: 

THE PROMISE OF THOMAS

The promise of THOMAS

Wyo, CRAIG THOMAS, Cowboys and The Marines 

Are some of the greatest damn things, this our country has ever seen 

Walk soft, 

But, carry a big heart . . . A straight shooter, The Promise of THOMAS

Surely, this was CRAIG’s greatest of parts . . . as what his life so surely 

means 

A cowboy, from the great wide west 

A hero who wore the uniform, A Marine . . . one of America’s Best 

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Then, upon House and Senate floors . . . as a legislator . . . his state and 

country he’d bless 

He was so kind, and ever so cool . . . 

He was nobody’s patsy nor anybody’s fool, following The Golden Rule 

Understated, not complicated . . . just the way God created, a beautiful calm 

western scene 

A Father and a Friend, 

A Devoted and Loving Husband . . . 

As has been this life of a patriot, time and again . . . 

A man of the land, 

For nature and wildlife he’d take a stand . . . 

Like a beautiful Yellow Stone sunset . . . as was so this man 

A leader of woman and man, 

A quiet, and classy kind of guy . . . like a Gary Cooper he’d stride . . . 

Making many a fan, under control, a thoughtful soul, as wherever you’d find 

honor . . . he’d stand 

For he was as real as it gets, 

The happiest, when in his cowboy boots and hat, in his jeans and belt buckle . . . heading for home on a jet 

Yea, you my fine son . . . CRAIG . . . you were quite the one . . . we will never 

forget 

About a week before you died, 

Meeting inside, how you stopped to provide a warm moment still yet . . . 

What does that say, about a man on death’s way . . . nothing but greatness, 

yea you conveyed! 

Now Marine, this is your life’s final scene, 

High and Tight, with our Lord up in Heaven . . . ready to fight . . . 

As an Angel in The Army of Our Lord, on this night 

In Yellow Stone, when on a quiet night all alone . . . 

As the river runs through you in tone, and the wind in the branches to all 

heart so moans . . . 

All in serenity, and in peace, among our Lord’s beautiful beasts . . . you’ll 

find CRAIG there at home! What to our world, such promises unfurled 

. . . do we so leave behind? 

THURSDAY, July 26, 2007 

NATIONAL DAY OF THE AMERICAN COWBOY 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I rise to remember my dear 

friend and colleague, Senator CRAIG THOMAS. CRAIG was a 

champion for Wyoming, the West, and its values. Every year, 

for the last several years, CRAIG championed a resolution 

honoring the American cowboy. A true cowboy in his own 

right, CRAIG sought to honor those who serve as stewards of 

the land, embody the courageous and daring spirit of the 

West, and uphold the values of freedom and responsibility 

that we all cherish. 

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I was proud to support my friend in this endeavor over the 

years to honor these great individuals, and today I am 

pleased the President has also stated his support for the National Day of the American Cowboy. As cowboys, cowgirls, 

family, and friends gather on July 28, 2007, to celebrate at 

Cheyenne Frontier Days and nationwide, I extend my best 

wishes to all. 

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Proceedings in the 

House of Representatives 

TUESDAY, June 5, 2007 

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution 

(H. Res. 454) and ask for its immediate consideration. 

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: 

H. RES. 454 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 

of the Honorable CRAIG THOMAS, a Senator from the State of Wyoming. 

Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House as the Speaker 

may designate, together with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, 

be appointed to attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and 

transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further 

mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. 

ADJOURNMENT 

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do 

now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 

454, the House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. today, as a 

further mark of respect to the memory of the late Honorable 

CRAIG THOMAS. 

Thereupon (at midnight), pursuant to House Resolution 

454, the House adjourned as a further mark of respect to the 

memory of the late Honorable CRAIG THOMAS until today, 

Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 10 a.m. 

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS 

Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions 

were introduced and severally referred, as follows: . . . 

By Mrs. CUBIN: 

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H. Res. 454. A resolution expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable CRAIG THOMAS, a Senator from 

the State of Wyoming; considered and agreed to. . . . 

WEDNESDAY, June 6, 2007 

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE 

A message from the Senate by Ms. Curtis, one of its clerks, 

announced that the Senate agreed to the following resolution. 

S. RES. 220 

In the Senate of the United States, June 5, 2007. 

Whereas, Senator CRAIG THOMAS had a long and honorable history of public service, serving in the United States Marine Corps, the Wyoming State 

Legislature, the United States House of Representatives, and the United 

States Senate; 

Whereas, Senator CRAIG THOMAS represented the people of Wyoming with 

honor and distinction for over 20 years; 

Whereas, Senator CRAIG THOMAS was first elected to the United States 

House of Representatives in 1989; 

Whereas, Senator CRAIG THOMAS was subsequently elected 3 times to the 

United States Senate by record margins of more than 70 percent; and 

Whereas, Senator CRAIG THOMAS’s life and career were marked by the 

best of his Western values: hard work, plain speaking, common sense, courage, and integrity: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the United States Senate has heard with profound sorrow 

and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable CRAIG

THOMAS, a Senator from the State of Wyoming; 

Resolved, That the Senate mourns the loss of one of its most esteemed 

members, Senator CRAIG THOMAS, and expresses its condolences to the people of Wyoming and to his wife, Susan, and his 4 children; 

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate shall communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy thereof 

to the family of Senator CRAIG THOMAS; and 

Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned 

as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator CRAIG THOMAS. 

MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF SENATOR CRAIG THOMAS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will rise and observe a moment of silence in memory of Senator CRAIG

THOMAS. 

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MONDAY, June 11, 2007 

APPOINTMENT OF MEMBER TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF THE LATE 

HONORABLE CRAIG THOMAS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 

454, and the order of the House of January 4, 2007, the 

Chair announces the Speaker’s appointment of the following 

Member of the House to the committee to attend the funeral 

of the late Honorable CRAIG THOMAS: 

Mrs. Cubin, Wyoming 

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Departure Ceremony for Senator Craig Thomas 

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland 

Friday June 8, 2007, 10 am 

Presiding, Dr. Barry C. Black, 

Chaplain, U.S. Senate 

Prelude 

Procession 

Psalm 46:1–5, 10–11 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 

trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst 

of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, 

though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. 

Selah. 

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the 

city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most 

High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God 

shall help her, and that right early. 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among 

the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of 

hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

Psalm 90:1–2, 4, 10, 12 

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst 

formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday 

when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if 

by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their 

strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly 

away. 

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our 

hearts unto wisdom. 

Old Testament reading. Psalm 23 

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[ 114 ] 

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh 

me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the 

still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the 

paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 

death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and 

thy staff they comfort me. 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine 

enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 

over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of 

my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

Instrumental Interlude: Amazing Grace 

New Testament reading. John 14:1–3 

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe 

also in me. 

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, 

I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, 

and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may 

be also. 

Homily. Going Home to a Prepared Place. 

Closing Prayer 

Benediction 

Recession 

Revelation 21:1–4 

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first 

heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was 

no more sea. 

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming 

down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned 

for her husband. 

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, 

the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with 

them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be 

with them, and be their God. 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and 

there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are 

passed away. 

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Memorial Services for 

The Honorable Craig Thomas 

United States Senator 

Saturday, June 9, 2007 — 3 p.m. 

First United Methodist Church 

322 East Second Street 

Casper, Wyoming 

United States Senator 

Craig L. Thomas 

1933–2007 


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[ 116 ] 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot 

change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to 

know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one 

moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to 

peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I 

would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if 

I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in 

this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. 

Amen. 

—Reinhold Niebuhr 

Officiating 

Reverend Bill Moore 

Reverend Margaret Gillikin 

Honor Guard 

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell 

Diemer True, Words from a Friend 

Old Rugged Cross, United Methodist Hymnal, page 504 

The Apostles Creed, United Methodist Hymnal, page 88 

Miss Katelynn Thomas, Grandchildren’s Tribute 

U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, a Poem from Men to Match My 

Mountains 

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Cubin, the Twenty-Third 

Psalm 

Celebration of Life, Affirmation of Faith, Reverend Bill Moore 

Prayer 

The Lord’s Prayer 

Amazing Grace, United Methodist Hymnal, page 378 

Benediction—Sending Forth 


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Honorary Pallbearers 

Peter Thomas Greg Thomas Patrick Thomas Lexie Thomas 

Bill Martin Lynn Martin Harry Roberts 

Ushers 

Ken Marken Jeff Bennett Bill Schilling Jeff Clark Steve Cathey 

John Scherlin Sean Boril Lester Lebsock 

Beginning at 5 p.m., please join family and friends for a 

reception at The Casper Petroleum Club, 1301 Wilkins 

Circle. 

In memory of U.S. Senator Craig Thomas, his family asks 

that memorial donations be given to the Leukemia & 

Lymphoma Society or the Special Olympics of Wyoming. 


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[ 118 ] 

[The following was part of the Casper, WY, program.] 

Wyoming’s U.S. Senator CRAIG LYLE THOMAS passed peacefully June 4, 

2007, surrounded by his family. By the age of 74, the senior Senator from 

Wapiti, Wyoming achieved his life’s dream—to make a lasting difference for 

the State of Wyoming and the people who proudly call it home. 

His was a humble beginning. Born February 17, 1933, he was the son of 

school teachers in Cody, Wyoming who in the summers operated a small 

dude business on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. It was there and 

then that he developed a child’s love of special places that would later inspire his parenting of our National Parks. 

During those summers guiding on horseback, he also learned to work 

hard and to earn one’s way in the world. Those who knew him, either closely or observing from a distance, witnessed the same quality of CRAIG THOMAS: a cowboy’s tireless work ethic and respect for those around him. He held 

that ethic throughout his career. Without doubt, his modest start in life 

shaped his nature as a fiscal conservative and his lifelong dedication to advocate for the average Wyoming person. 

It will surprise no one who knew him politically that CRAIG was a wrestler, and a good one at that. Following high school in Cody, he attended the 

University of Wyoming and joined its wrestling team. The University’s legendary wrestling coach Everett Lance was an important influence, training 

CRAIG’s competitive focus with an ethic of how to win with more than simple 

strength, but with honor and strength of character. 

Academically, CRAIG studied agriculture at UW and earned a bachelor’s 

degree in animal husbandry, thinking perhaps he might later try his hand 

in the ranch business. But like most men in the late 1950s, first came military service, and for an athletic man with determination and drive, the Marine Corps was a perfect fit. Trained at Quantico, CRAIG was stationed in 

Japan in the later part of that more peaceful decade, rising to the rank of 

Captain. 

He returned home with a broadened view of the world and the powers 

that shape it. Agriculture policy and the issues of the West compelled him 

and he began work for the Wyoming Farm Bureau, the American Farm Bureau in Washington, DC, and later the Wyoming Rural Electric Association. 

Reflecting his roots in small business, he also bought a small hotel in 

Torrington, Wyoming which would ground him squarely in the state’s tourism policy for years to come. 

It was during these Wyoming years, based in Casper, that he met a young 

educator of high school children with special needs. Susan Roberts and 

CRAIG THOMAS found much in common. Raised on a ranch in Barnum, 

Susan also shared CRAIG’s love of Wyoming, horses, politics and people. 

Theirs was a remarkable marriage as life partners and each other’s best 

friend. 

CRAIG’s political ambitions took hold with races for the State Treasurer’s 

Office and the Wyoming State House of Representatives. Like the wrestler 

he was trained to be, CRAIG tried each of these matches persistently. Coach 

Lance taught him that each match trains you for the next, and CRAIG joked 

often that he had learned those early political lessons the hard way. 

In 1989 came the match of his life. A special election to replace then-U.S. 

Congressman Dick Cheney for Wyoming’s at large House seat. Forty long 

and hard fought days later, CRAIG won the race. Elected on a springtime 

Wednesday and sworn into Congress the following Monday, CRAIG became 

a member of the Wyoming Congressional Delegation, serving with his boyhood friend, U.S. Senator Al Simpson, and U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop. 

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Then in 1994 with Wallop’s retirement, CRAIG chose to run for the U.S. Senate, winning that race, then in 2000 and again in 2006. Over that time, U.S. 

Senator CRAIG THOMAS became one of Wyoming’s most popular and beloved 

public servants. 

While he ran successfully in statewide election after election, he also ran 

every morning with his wife Susan in the early hours, long before most 

alarm clocks were set to ring. He arrived eager to work just about the time 

wake-up buzzers sounded for the rest of the city. Their fitness passion and 

focus on health helped him look younger than his age, a fact of which he 

was proud. It would also help him as he fought his disease. His doctors said 

men of lesser strength would not have been able to battle as well as he did 

the aggressive cancer in his blood. 

Tough country breeds uncompromising values, tested by experience. The 

grit of CRAIG THOMAS is legendary. He never backed down from a challenge. 

On the floor of the Senate or the rodeo arena, he continued to fight and 

rope, wrestle and win with honor. Those close to him knew that behind his 

strength was a constant faith that carried him through each brave experience. He was devout, quietly and steadfastly with abiding hope. CRAIG knew 

where he came from, knowing exactly the man he was. CRAIG’s Senate colleague and friend, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, said on the floor of the Senate, ‘‘Although that last battle of his life was lost, there were so many victories in his life that we will long remember. CRAIG died as he lived, with 

his spurs on, fighting for Wyoming to the very end.’’

As Wyoming’s senior U.S. Senator, CRAIG positioned himself on the committees with the greatest legislative importance for Wyoming. In addition 

to serving on the Energy Committee, he served on the Senate’s most powerful panel—the Senate Finance Committee, as well as Agriculture, Indian Affairs, and Ethics. In his work, Wyoming and Wyoming people were central. 

His efforts in job creation and economic growth are the foundation of his vision to improve the quality of life for a better future for people in communities across the state. 

His distinguished legislative record on issues as diverse as public land 

management, agriculture, fiscal responsibility and rural health care have 

made a difference in the lives of Wyoming people. He valued resources—the 

energy resources with which Wyoming is blessed as well as the scenic resources that help create special places and tourism. 

From his position on the highly coveted chairmanship of the Senate Energy Committee’s National Park Subcommittee, CRAIG THOMAS worked tirelessly on National Park policy . . . to help the parks with infrastructure—

from management reforms to landmark improvements in concessionaire policy to roads to visitors centers. National visitors and state residents have 

benefitted dramatically from CRAIG’s work for quality national parks. His efforts resulted in many national recognitions and awards. 

The character of CRAIG THOMAS as a public servant was based on a Marine’s sense of responsibility to the people who elected him. Early on in his 

career CRAIG . . . [developed] the profound accountability he felt for the people who elected him his bond. He talked often about the obligations each 

of us has to achieve something better through hard work and leadership. He 

and Susan would say they work in Washington, but they live in Wyoming. 

He traveled persistently to Wyoming each weekend so that he would know 

what Wyoming people needed and wanted. CRAIG THOMAS worked, fought 

and led every day within this ethic: that it was an honor to serve Wyoming 

and Wyoming people. 

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Outside of his duties as a Legislator, Congressman and Senator, CRAIG

was active in the community in other important ways. He involved himself 

in volunteer efforts that included the Special Olympics of Wyoming, the 

State Developmental Disabilities Council, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation on which he and his wife Susan shared roles as Honorary 

Chairmen. He helped countless organization[s] in raising money for locally 

and state based causes. And from 4–H to Girls State, rodeo clubs to the 

spelling bee teams, vo-tech to valedictorian, CRAIG gave his time, kindness 

and inspiration to thousands of Wyoming school kids. 

While tough and tested as an individual, there was another side, a lighter 

one that distinguished him. What many will tell you about CRAIG THOMAS

is that he loved to laugh and loved to collect jokes, both good and bad. He 

flashed a mischievous smile each time he told one and he relished in the 

reaction he would raise. He laughed with his whole body, broad shoulders 

and bright eyes. 

His life was blessed with four children and later, with their growing families, nine grandchildren. His sons, Peter, Patrick, Greg, and daughter, Lexie, 

shared their father with an entire state and nation. They wish to thank the 

people of Wyoming and this great country for the love and support given 

so generously during their father’s illness and passing. Each of CRAIG’s children carries the hope that his legacy will live on, in the ways that their father wanted, both small and large, for generations to come. 

Many dignitaries from far and wide mourn his passing. President of the 

United States George W. Bush called CRAIG ‘‘a man of character and integrity known for his devotion to the values he shared with the people of Wyoming.’’ But in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, there are others, many others 

who share a common pain of his loss. Ask the elevator operators, the cashiers, the janitors and they, like most, would say what a wonderful person 

CRAIG THOMAS was. His staff and the people who have had the privilege to 

work for him over the years will tell all you of his kindness and the open 

family character that is the nature of his office. Each will say what a great, 

good guy CRAIG THOMAS was. Because no matter who you were CRAIG took 

time each day, every day, to talk to you, to say hello and not to simply pass 

by. In Wyoming, people in each town, each county, feel a loss because CRAIG

gave so much of himself. He gave his time, his passion, his leadership and 

his tireless energy to make Wyoming a better place. 

CRAIG THOMAS represented Wyoming with honor and dignity. Admired by 

those who knew him, he gives us a legacy of unmatched legislative accomplishments—a brilliant example of what one can do with a life lived with 

determination, strength of character and vision. How CRAIG THOMAS lived 

was as a success, achieving unassumingly what he set out to do: to make 

a difference for the state and the people he loved. Many people might hope 

to live as they dream. CRAIG did. He was an honorable man who loved his 

wife Susan dearly, gave tirelessly to his state and country and left his beloved Wyoming a better place. He leaves behind a family of thousands and 

the unparalleled legacy of a humble, true western hero. 

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