TRIBUTES TO HON. JIM BUNNING 

Jim Bunning 

U.S. SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Jim Bunning 


64805_bunning.eps
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2012

S. DOC. 111–26 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Jim Bunning 

United States Congressman 

1987–1999 

United States Senator 

1999–2011 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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

Farewell to the Senate ............................................................................. vii 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee ............................................... 3 

Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota ................................................. 14 

Cornyn, John, of Texas .............................................................. 15 

DeMint, Jim, of South Carolina ................................................ 16 

Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut ....................................... 13 

Durbin, Richard, of Illinois ........................................................ 9 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................................... 6 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 18 

Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas ............................................... 19 

Kyl, Jon, of Arizona ................................................................... 12 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 9 

Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska ....................................................... 20 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 5 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 5 

Warner, Mark R., of Virginia .................................................... 6 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

On November 2, 2004, JIM BUNNING was elected to serve 

a second term as U.S. Senator for the Commonwealth of 

Kentucky. Senator BUNNING was first elected to the U.S. 

Senate in 1998, winning by a mere 6,766 votes. In 2004 he 

won by a margin almost 31⁄2 times larger than his victory in 

1998, and he also won 73 of Kentucky’s 120 counties and secured 873,507 votes. People who know JIM BUNNING were 

not surprised by these victories. Competition is a hallmark 

of JIM BUNNING ’s life, and he is no stranger to winning. 

As a youngster in northern Kentucky, JIM BUNNING fell in 

love with baseball and even then he displayed a competitive 

spirit and a willingness to work hard. That combination carried him on to a highly successful 17-year career as a Major 

League Baseball player after his graduation from Xavier 

University with an economics degree. 

Pitching primarily for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia 

Phillies, JIM BUNNING accumulated a record of achievement 

that eventually won him a seat in the Baseball Hall of Fame 

in 1996. He was the second pitcher in history (Cy Young was 

the first) to record 1,000 strikeouts and 100 wins in both the 

American and National Leagues. When he retired in 1971, 

JIM BUNNING was second on the alltime strikeout list—second only to Walter Johnson. 

The same commitment that made JIM BUNNING a Hall of 

Famer also serves him well in public office. In 1977, he 

wanted to give something back to his community and he ran 

for and won a city council seat in Fort Thomas, KY. In 1979, 

he was elected to the Kentucky State Senate and became its 

Republican leader. In 1986, JIM BUNNING was elected to the 

U.S. House of Representatives for the Fourth District of Kentucky where he served for 12 years. 

As chairman of the House’s Social Security Subcommittee, 

JIM BUNNING established himself as one of Congress’ foremost experts and defenders of Social Security, as well as a 

leading spokesman for strengthening and protecting Social 

Security. In Congress, JIM BUNNING has been a proponent of 

walling off budget surpluses to help ensure the livelihood 

and commitment of Social Security for our seniors and future 

[ vi ] 

generations. He played a key role in the passage of landmark 

legislation establishing the Social Security Administration as 

a stand-alone and independent agency. He also authored the 

law to raise the unfair ‘‘earnings limit’’ for seniors. 

In the Senate, JIM BUNNING’s hard work won him the respect of his colleagues and a coveted seat on the influential 

Finance Committee, making him the first Kentuckian in 

nearly 40 years to serve on this powerful committee. Service 

on this committee allows Senator BUNNING a direct role in 

influencing how nearly two-thirds of all Federal dollars are 

spent on such issues as tax policy, Medicare and Medicaid, 

Social Security, welfare reform, and trade policy. 

Senator BUNNING also serves on the Banking Committee 

where he has been the leading critic of the Federal Reserve 

and financial bailouts. When he was chairman of the Banking Committee’s Economic Policy Subcommittee, he also 

wrote legislation to reform the National Flood Insurance Program, which was signed into law. From his seat on the Energy Committee, Senator BUNNING worked hard to make 

America more energy independent with diverse energy 

sources, especially coal-to-liquids, soy-diesel, and ethanol. 

JIM BUNNING also served on the Budget Committee where he 

fought for fiscally responsible budgets that fund our top priorities, with an emphasis on strengthening our military and 

taking care of our troops overseas. 

Although his election in the U.S. Senate and induction into 

the Baseball Hall of Fame stand out as top moments in his 

life, the alltime high point in his life was his marriage to 

Mary Catherine Theis. Together, they raised 9 children and 

have 35 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. JIM and 

Mary make their home in Southgate, KY, and are active 

members of the St. Therese Catholic Church in Southgate, 

KY. 

[ vii ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Thursday, December 9, 2010 

Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, I thank the Senator 

from Missouri (Mr. Bond), a dear friend of mine and someone 

who has unusual wisdom in his remarks today. I listened to 

many of them. I just hope I have a few that are as well 

thought out as my good friend from Missouri. 

I wish to take a few moments to thank all my colleagues 

and other individuals who have come to the Chamber to hear 

me bid farewell. That doesn’t mean I will not speak again. 

That just means I am bidding farewell and this is a farewell 

speech. 

I have had the great fortune of having three wonderful careers during my life: one as a husband and father of 9 children and a grandfather of 40, one as a Major League baseball player for 17 years, and one in public service for 30 

years. Many people often talk to me about how different my 

baseball and public service careers are, but they really are 

not so different. 

I have been booed by 60,000 fans in Yankee Stadium, 

standing alone on the mound, so I have never cared if I stood 

alone in the Congress, as long as I stood by my beliefs and 

my values. I have also thought that being able to throw a 

curve ball never was a bad skill for a politician to have. 

I came to Washington, DC, in 1987, when the people of the 

Fourth District in northern Kentucky gave me the distinct 

honor to serve them. I did not know then that the people of 

Kentucky had bestowed upon me the privilege of representing them for 24 years. I have the same conservative 

principles in 2010 that I had when I first was elected to Congress. 

Over the years, I have always done what I thought was 

right for Kentucky and my country. I did not run for public 

service for fame or public acclaim. When I cast my votes, I 

thought about how they would affect my grandchildren and 

the next generation of Kentuckians, not where the political 

winds at the time were blowing. Words cannot express my 

gratitude to the people of Kentucky for giving me the distinct 

[ viii ] 

honor of serving them for 12 years in the House of Representatives and 12 years in the Senate. 

Here I stand, though, in the Senate Chamber about to say 

goodbye after nearly a quarter of a century in Congress. I 

have reflected much about my time here. As I stand here at 

the desk of Henry Clay, the great Kentuckian, I am proud 

to have had the opportunity to serve in a place in history. 

I thought it fitting to discuss the legislative items of which 

I am most proud. 

I have three bills I am particularly proud I was able to accomplish signing into law. One of the things I am most 

proud of during my time in Congress is helping pass legislation that repealed the earnings limit on older Americans 

under the Social Security system. Social Security used to penalize many older Americans for working by reducing their 

Social Security benefits by $1 for every $3 they earned, if 

they made more than the earnings limit which was about 

$12,000 in 1995. This was an unfair tax on seniors and punished them for continuing to work. I worked hard for many 

years in both the House and Senate to get this unfair earnings limit eliminated. 

Finally, in 2000, after I had been elected to the Senate, it 

passed and was signed into law. This law has helped many 

hard-working seniors stay involved in their communities, remain independent, and contribute to society. 

Another bill I am proud of is the 2004 Flood Insurance 

Reformation Act. In 2004, I wrote the last reauthorization of 

the National Flood Insurance Program. That law provided 

significant reforms to the program just in time for the 2004– 

2005 hurricane season, including Hurricane Katrina. Had 

the law not been in place, homeowners all over the gulf coast 

would not have had coverage for the flood damage to their 

homes. The 2004 law is still the framework for the program 

today. It was not a Republican accomplishment or a Democratic accomplishment. It was a bipartisan accomplishment. 

I worked very closely with Senator Sarbanes and Representatives Bereuter and Blumenthal to write and pass that 

law. While I believe that further changes are still needed to 

the program, the 2004 law made meaningful changes that 

put the program on a more sound financial footing. 

Unfortunately, passage of the bill was not the end of the 

story. What happened or, more accurately, what did not happen illustrates one reason people are fed up with Washington: because government does not do what it is supposed 

to do. Despite the fact that the bill passed both the Senate 

[ ix ] 

and the House unanimously, FEMA refused to implement all 

of its provisions in a timely manner. The most glaring example was the appeals process created by the bill for property 

owners to appeal claims they thought were not settled fairly 

or correctly. The law gave FEMA 6 months to write the 

rules. FEMA, instead, took almost 2 years from the day the 

bill passed to put even draft rules out. They probably would 

not have done it then, if it was not for the right of one Senator to object. I had to hold the nominee to head the agency 

to get the attention of the Bush administration and move the 

Secretary of Homeland Security to finally publish the rules. 

It should not have been that way. 

The third bill I am grateful was signed into law is the 

Emergency Employee Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program. The Paducah, KY, gaseous diffusion plant is the 

only operating uranium enrichment plant in the United 

States. When I came to the Senate, I held the first hearing 

to look at cleaning up the contamination the Department of 

Energy left at the site. After the hearing, I focused on cleaning up the site. A lot has been cleaned up since that first 

hearing 10 years ago. I also worked hard to provide compensation to workers who suffered serious illnesses as a result of their employment at the DOE nuclear weapons program plant. 

This energy employment compensation program was set 

up because many workers served our country’s nuclear programs during the cold war and their health was put at risk 

without their knowledge—the first compensation bill passed 

in 2000, with the help of a bipartisan group of Congressmen 

and Senators. I then became aware that DOE was slowwalking claims processing and payment to many claimants 

and their portion of the compensation program. So in 2004, 

again, with the help of a bipartisan group of Senators and 

Congressmen, I spearheaded legislation that moved the entire program over to the Department of Labor, which had 

sped up and streamlined compensation for the sick nuclear 

workers. 

Along with many of my achievements, I also had time to 

reflect on some of the disappointments I wish I had been 

able to fix during my time here. I am deeply concerned about 

the state of entitlement programs—Medicare, Medicaid, and 

Social Security. It is clear that our government cannot meet 

its future obligations and ultimately the American people 

will suffer, unfortunately. Too many Members of Congress 

are willing to look the other way and let the financial probVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:17 May 16, 2012 Jkt 064805 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64805.TXT KAYNE
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lems of these programs fester instead of making hard decisions. Congress just cannot get the courage together to address these issues head on. 

In fact, after President Bush’s second election, Congress 

briefly focused on the problems of Social Security solvency. 

At the time, I was a strong supporter of private investment 

accounts but certainly realized that the whole system needed 

an overhaul and was open to many different options. Toward 

the end of the debate, I was willing to tackle Social Security 

reform even if we did not do investment accounts, as long as 

we did something. However, it quickly became apparent that 

many Members of Congress—even some in my own party— 

were not willing to get serious about this. Six years later, 

Congress still has not touched Social Security reform, and 

the program is even in worse financial shape. 

Medicare and Medicaid are in the same position. In 2006, 

Congress finally got serious about spending in these programs and passed the Deficit Reduction Act. This bill slowed 

the rate of growth in Medicare by $6 billion and in Medicaid 

by $5 billion over 5 years. Let me be clear about this. We 

were not cutting spending in these programs. We were just 

slowing the growth. 

Well, you would have thought the sky was falling when we 

did this. The longer Congress takes to honestly tackle these 

fiscal challenges, the harder it will be to fix these programs. 

This means bigger cuts, bigger deficits, and bigger tax increases. 

Health care is another area where Congress should have 

done better. The other side of the aisle’s stubborn refusal to 

compromise and, more important, listen to the desires of the 

American people on health care reform led to the passage of 

a bill that is one of the worst pieces of legislation I have seen 

in Congress in 24 years. 

The health care bill is clearly unconstitutional, will force 

millions of Americans to lose the health insurance they currently enjoy, give the IRS—that is the Internal Revenue 

Service—the power to police and tax Americans who do not 

have health insurance, and take over $500 billion out of 

Medicare programs to pay for new spending. 

Despite all the rhetoric from the administration and 

Democratic leaders about being transparent and open and 

willing to compromise, it quickly became clear that they only 

wanted Republican support if we agreed to everything they 

wanted to do. Well, compromise does not work like that. A 

[ xi ] 

compromise means you actually have to take ideas from 

other people instead of just giving lip service. 

One of the other recent disappointments was the financial 

regulation bill passed earlier this year. Before my first election, I spent 31 years working in the security business. That 

was back when baseball players did not make millions of dollars a year and had to have jobs in the off-season to pay the 

bills. I spent nearly all of my time in Congress on either the 

old House Banking Committee or the Senate Banking Committee, so this is something I know a great deal about and 

care about. 

There were, and are, real problems in our financial system. But that bill is not going to fix them and almost certainly sows the seeds for the next banking and financial crisis while, at the same time, adding more burdens on the 

economies struggling to recover. 

That bill did not replace bailouts with bankruptcy. It made 

bailouts a permanent part of the financial system. The bill 

did not force the too-big-to-fail banks to get smaller. It gave 

them special status. The bill ignored the role of housing finance and left Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac alone. The 

housing crisis could not have happened without Fannie Mae 

and Freddie Mac. 

The Senate failed to act on a bill to reform Fannie and 

Freddie passed by the Banking Committee in 2006, and that 

failure is going to end up costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Congress has to do something soon to get 

them off the taxpayers’ life support they have been on since 

2008. But, unfortunately, that did not happen in the financial reform bill. 

The bill also ignores the Federal Reserve’s failures as a 

regulator and, instead, gave them more power. And, worst of 

all, the bill did nothing to rein in the largest single cause of 

the current financial crisis and most other financial crises in 

the past: flawed monetary policy by the Federal Reserve. 

Nothing Congress has done will stop the next bubble or 

collapse if the Fed continues with its easy money policies. 

Cheap money will always distort prices and lead to dangerous behavior. No amount of regulation can contain it. 

For many years, I was a lone critic of the Federal Reserve. 

Particularly, no one questioned Alan Greenspan, despite his 

policies causing two recessions and two asset bubbles. I was 

the lone vote against Ben Bernanke in 2006. I was the lone 

vote because I thought he would continue the Greenspan 

monetary and regulatory policies. Well, he did. He kept it 

[ xii ] 

up—a flawed monetary policy—and was slow to regulate. 

Then, in 2008, he took the Federal Reserve into fiscal policy 

by bailing out Bear Stearns and, later, AIG, and just about 

every other major financial institution in the country. As we 

saw, even last week around the world, Chairman Bernanke 

compromised the independence of the Fed and turned it into 

an arm of the U.S. Treasury. 

Things have not gotten better since then either. Chairman 

Bernanke is continuing with the easy monetary policy, and 

a month ago started the printing presses again to buy up 

more Treasury debt. While the Fed may be propping up the 

banks with plenty of cheap money, he is undermining our 

currency. 

Other central banks are moving away from the dollar and 

gold is continuing to climb. Just like the soaring national 

debt and entitlement costs, the destruction of the dollar is 

not sustainable. Congress must act to rein in the Chairman 

of the Federal Reserve and the Fed before they destroy our 

currency and permanently damage our economy and financial system. 

Public awareness of what the Fed is doing is increasing, 

while public opinion of the Fed is falling. Chairman 

Bernanke had nearly twice as many votes cast against him 

in the Senate earlier this year than any other Fed Chairman 

in history. It is just not outside the Fed that opposition is 

growing. Regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents are 

speaking up and voting against Fed policy. Even some members of the Fed Board are recognizing the dangers of Chairman Bernanke’s policies. I am more hopeful now than ever 

that Chairman Bernanke and the Fed will not be allowed to 

continue the flawed policies and act as an arm of the Treasury and the major banks. 

As I stand here and reflect upon my time in Congress, I 

can honestly say I am gratified, despite the ups and downs, 

to have had the opportunity to serve my country and serve 

the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 

Twenty-four years is a very large portion of my life and my 

family’s life. I thank my 9 children: Barb, Jim, Joan, Cat, 

Bill, Bridget, Mark, Amy, and David, and my 40 grandchildren, who inspired me to try to make this country better 

and better for the next generation to live. 

I also want to give a special thanks to my wife Mary, the 

mother of my nine children and my childhood sweetheart 

from the fourth grade. I thank her for being at my side 

through all of the road trips and the late nights I spent in 

[ xiii ] 

the House and Senate. She is my better half, who supported 

and stood by me. She is my lighthouse that always shone in 

the dark during the good and the bad times of public service. 

She prayed me to my wins in public service and in baseball, 

and I never could have done any of these achievements without her. 

As this chapter in my life comes to an end and I flip the 

page into a new chapter, I thank very much all the other 

people in my life who have stood by me. Without the friendship and support of so many over the years, I never would 

have been able and had the privilege to represent Kentucky 

in the House and Senate. 

As I leave here today, I offer a little prayer for the next 

Congress. Pope John Paul II once said, ‘‘Freedom consists 

not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what 

we ought.’’ This is the motto I have tried to live by during 

my time in Congress. I pray that the Members of the next 

Congress do what is right for the country, not what is right 

for their fame and their future aspirations. My hope is that 

Congress will focus on the astronomical debt instead of continuing down the path of spending our future generations 

into higher taxes and a lower standard of living than we 

have now. 

Godspeed and God bless. 

With a sense of pride and gratitude, I will say for the last 

time, Mr. President, I yield the floor. 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

JIM BUNNING 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

TUESDAY, November 30, 2010 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 16 Senators will retire 

this year. There is a pretty big turnover in this body, but 

that is a lot of Senators at once. We are losing an enormous 

amount of talent, but, of course, we are gaining a lot of talent with the new Senators. 

I wish to show my respect for those who have served, 

which I will do in a summary fashion because we are talking 

about 16 individuals with very complex and distinguished 

backgrounds. 

One might ask, what are the characteristics of a Senator? 

There are a lot of different answers to that, depending on 

your background and attitude toward politics and government. First, I have always thought that one characteristic of 

almost every Member of the Senate is that he or she probably was a first grader sitting in the front row, hand in the 

air waiting to be recognized. This is an eager bunch or you 

would not have gotten here. 

Second, it is a group of risk takers. Most people who end 

up in the Senate get here because a lot of other people who 

wanted to be Senators were standing around waiting for the 

right time to run. A lot of people who were elected to the 

Senate seemed to have no chance of winning at the time they 

decided to run, but the voters decided differently, and here 

they are. 

Third, we are almost all professional and congenial. That 

is a big help. It is almost a requirement in an organization 

of 100 individuals who spend almost all their time with one 

another, who serve in a body that operates by unanimous 

consent, when just one Senator can bring the whole place to 

a halt, and whose job basically is to argue about some of the 

most difficult issues that face the American people. So it 

helps that almost every Member of the Senate is an especially congenial person. 

Back in Tennessee, people often say to me it must be 

rough being in that job. They are awfully mean up there. 

[ 4 ] 

The truth is, I don’t know of a more congenial group than 

the Members of the Senate. We begin the day in the gym. 

The next thing you know we are at a Prayer Breakfast, and 

then we are at a committee hearing. Then we are on the 

floor voting, and then we have lunch. It goes through the day 

until 7 or 8 o’clock, or sometimes later. We live together and 

we get along very well. We know and respect each other. 

Not long ago, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Udall of New Mexico) and I were having dinner together with our wives. We 

were lamenting the loss of families who know one another, 

the way it happened when his father was serving in Congress and when I first came to the Senate to work for Senator Baker. And that’s true. We’ve lost some of that. Still, 

there is an enormous amount of affection and good will here. 

You don’t always get to be very close friends in this job, but 

you get to be very good acquaintances, and you learn to respect people for their strengths. 

Senator Domenici said, when he left, that we don’t do a 

very good job of saying goodbye here. That is true. As one 

part of saying goodbye, I wish to say at least one good thing 

about each one of the 16 retiring Senators. Much more could 

be said about each, of course. Mostly, I am going in alphabetical order. . . . 

Everybody knows about Senator JIM BUNNING and baseball. Nobody would want to be a batter when he is throwing 

pitches. We understand he is the only person to strike out 

Ted Williams three times in one game. But what not as 

many people know about him is that JIM BUNNING has been 

a persistent leader in fighting for sick nuclear workers who 

served our country during the 1950s and 1960s and were 

sick because of their work in handling nuclear weapons. So 

JIM BUNNING deserves the thanks of all the families of the 

sick nuclear workers in America for his service here. . . . 

It has been my privilege to serve with these 16 Senators. 

We thank them for their service to our country. They have 

had a chance to serve in what we regard as the world’s 

greatest deliberative body; it is a special institution. We will 

miss their leadership, and we hope they will stay in touch 

with us because they are not just retiring Senators, they are 

all our friends. 

I yield the floor. 

[ 5 ] 

WEDNESDAY, December 8, 2010 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 

there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to retiring 

Members of the 111th Congress, and that Members have 

until Thursday, December 16, to submit such tributes. 

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

THURSDAY, December 9, 2010 

Mr. REID. I of course admire SENATOR BUNNING because 

of his great athletic skills. He is a member of the Baseball 

Hall of Fame. To think I have had the opportunity to serve 

in the Senate with one of the great pitchers of all time. I love 

talking to JIM BUNNING about his baseball days. Some of the 

stories he has told I have repeated many times and I will 

never forget them. One of the things he said that I have repeated on a number of occasions—JIM BUNNING was a great 

pitcher, an All-Star with no-hitters in both leagues. But he 

has some humility, because he said there was Sandy Koufax 

and there was the rest of us. He and I don’t vote often the 

same way, but he is a man who has a strong opinion, and 

I am going to miss JIM BUNNING and the chance for me to 

talk to him about his athletic feats. I certainly wish him well 

in whatever his endeavors may be in the future. 

FRIDAY, December 10, 2010 

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 

our colleagues who are departing the Senate after distinguished service on behalf of their States and on behalf of the 

Nation. I have been privileged to work with these individuals, to learn from them, to collaborate and cooperate 

with them, and to, in some small way, help them do what 

they have done so well—represent their States with fidelity, 

with great effort, and to move the agenda of the Nation forward. . . . 

Senator JIM BUNNING and I served together for many 

years on the Banking Committee. JIM and Mary Catherine 

and their family brought so much to not only the Senate as 

[ 6 ] 

an organization, but to the Senate as a group of individuals. 

JIM was one of the first and most insightful observers and 

critics of the growing issues in the securities market. He did 

it based upon his experience as a financial stockbroker in the 

world of finance. He did it also with his grasp of common 

sense and looking at things carefully and pragmatically, 

based on Main Street not on financial centers. We worked together on the Securities Committee, and we did it in a way 

that I enjoyed the collaboration immensely. 

A focus on the issues and their importance to the country 

was also in the forefront of his mind. He distinguished himself immensely. I wish him well. . . . 

To all of these colleagues and their families, my deepest 

appreciation and my profoundest respect. 

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise again to recognize the 

service of another great Federal employee. This is a tradition 

that was started by our friend and former colleague, Senator 

Kaufman, and I am proud to carry on that tradition. But I 

want to first say that I appreciate the remarks of the Presiding Officer (Mr. Reed) about our colleagues who are leaving this body, and I share his great respect for not only Senator Kaufman but all of the colleagues who are leaving the 

body at the end of this Congress. . . . 

WEDNESDAY, December 15, 2010 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it is always a bittersweet moment when we come to the end of a session of Congress. As 

the clock winds down on the final hours of our legislative activities, it also signals the time when several of our colleagues will be retiring and ending their years of service in 

the U.S. Senate. One of our colleagues who will be leaving 

at the end of this session is my good friend JIM BUNNING of 

Kentucky. I know we will all miss him, his spirited presence 

in the Senate, and the friendship he has shared with us 

through the years. 

Someday when he gets the urge I have no doubt that JIM

will be able to write another book or two about his life that 

will sell countless copies all over the country. It can’t miss. 

JIM has a truly remarkable story to tell about his life that 

has all the makings of a bestseller. An old adage reminds us 

that it isn’t the number of years in your life that is important, it is the life in your years. If that is the standard we 

[ 7 ] 

are going to use, I can’t think of anyone who has been able 

to fit more into every day of his life than JIM, and I for one 

would enjoy reading all about it. This time JIM might think 

about writing about how playing baseball was a lot like politics—and how the beanballs he used to throw at batters became verbal fastballs that came with lightning speed right at 

other Senators and members of the media. 

I would imagine the first volume of this new series would 

be about JIM’s years in baseball. There is definitely a lot still 

to be written about his Hall of Fame career and the outstanding results he was able to achieve that kept him in the 

Major Leagues for so many years. 

JIM’s 17-year career in baseball began when he broke into 

the big leagues on July 20, 1955, with his first team, the Detroit Tigers. In the years that followed, he pitched for the 

Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Los 

Angeles Dodgers, notching 100 wins and 1,000 strikeouts in 

both the American and National Leagues. When he retired 

he had the second highest number of career strikeouts in the 

history of Major League baseball and two no-hitters, one of 

them the seventh perfect game in baseball history that he 

pitched on June 21, 1964—Father’s Day—which made the 

game that much more meaningful for him. He was then inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. 

For anyone else that would have been enough. A Hall of 

Fame career, after all, is the kind of thing that most people 

can only dream about—but JIM was never one to be like 

most people. He had another career in mind, and it was time 

to get started on his other dream—making government work 

better for the people of Kentucky. 

Soon after he first tossed his cap into the political arena, 

JIM won an election to serve on the city council in Fort 

Thomas. He then ran for and won a seat in the Kentucky 

State Senate where he soon came to serve as its Republican 

leader. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, JIM ran 

for and won an election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for 12 years. 

Fortunately, for the people of Kentucky and the Senate, 

JIM then ran for and won a seat in the Senate. At every 

level, it was JIM’s willingness to work hard and his commitment to his country and his beloved Kentucky that not only 

got him noticed, but helped him to make progress on all 

fronts. 

Here in the Senate, JIM became the first Kentuckian in 

nearly 40 years to serve on the Finance Committee. He also 

[ 8 ] 

served on the Banking Committee, chaired that committee’s 

Economic Policy Subcommittee, and then served on the Energy Committee which gave him a chance to work to make 

our Nation more energy independent. 

At every post he has held he has been a fighter—for a 

sound budget, one that would provide the funds that were 

needed for our national priorities, like our Armed Forces— 

especially for those who were serving overseas. For 12 years 

in the House and 12 years in the Senate, JIM held true to 

the values and principles that had guided his life and served 

as his inner compass through all of his life’s challenges and 

opportunities. 

JIM has had more great moments in his life than most 

other people could ever hope for. He has his victories on the 

mound during a Hall of Fame career to look back on. He had 

all those wins on election day to remember with pride. Still, 

there was one moment that still stands head and shoulders 

above them all—his marriage. That day when Mary said ‘‘I 

do’’ was the best moment of his life. She is a strong source 

of support for him and I am sure he has already said that 

whatever success has come into his life he owes to a large 

degree to Mary. Theirs has been a remarkable marriage, 

during which they raised nine children who have blessed 

them with an abundance of grandchildren and some greatgrandchildren, too. 

Just like the title of the movie so many of us enjoy during 

this time of year JIM is having a wonderful life. Each day, 

each week, each month, and every year, he’s played a full 

and active role in his community and his Nation. As a baseball player he proved to be one of the best there ever was. 

As a Senator and a Representative, he showed a willingness 

to bring that same determination that had won him so many 

games on the mound to our deliberations on the Senate floor. 

I don’t know what JIM is thinking of taking on next—but 

given his legacy of excellence that he continues to add to 

every day, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn we haven’t heard 

the last from him. That would suit me and so many who 

know him just fine. His is a voice that is still needed. 

That is why, in the months to come I hope I continue to 

hear from him with his thoughtful ideas and suggestions 

about the issues we will be taking up in the current Congress. I will miss hearing what he has to say—but if I know 

JIM—I have a hunch he will make his views known. 

Thanks, JIM, for your willingness to serve the people of 

Kentucky and the Nation. With both careers you have inVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:17 May 16, 2012 Jkt 064805 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64805.TXT KAYNE
[ 9 ] 

spired countless people of all ages to pursue their goals and 

work to make their dreams a reality. Thanks most of all for 

your friendship. Diana and I wish you and Mary all the best 

that life has to offer. You have earned all of that and so 

much more. For all your life you have been leading the best 

way—by example—and living a life that has been nothing 

short of a great and grand adventure—just what life was always meant to be. 

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

that the order for the printing of tributes be modified to provide that Members have until sine die of the 111th Congress, 

2d session, to submit tributes and that the order for printing 

remain in effect. 

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

THURSDAY, December 16, 2010 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, I know there are 

others on the Senate floor seeking to speak, but I wish to bid 

farewell to one of our colleagues. Few people can say they 

have had the same range of experience and successes in life 

as Senator JIM BUNNING. In fact, there isn’t even another 

Major Leaguer who can say he struck out Ted Williams three 

times in one game. JIM accomplished that notable feat in 

just his second year in the majors. 

Thirty-nine years after that, he had become the only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to serve in Congress. For 

the past 12 years, I have been honored to work alongside 

this remarkable American in the Senate. We followed different paths in life, but we sure have deep love for Kentucky 

and its people. It has been my honor over the years to work 

closely with JIM to advance our common goals. 

So today I wish to say a few words about my good friend 

as we honor his remarkable life and his remarkable service. 

JIM was born and raised in Southgate, KY, and it wouldn’t 

surprise anybody to learn he excelled in school and in sports 

growing up. He played baseball as a teenager at St. Xavier 

High School in Cincinnati, but it was for his skills as a basketball player that would earn him an athletic scholarship to 

Xavier University. 

Baseball interrupted his college education, but at his father’s insistence, JIM would return to Xavier and earn a deVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:17 May 16, 2012 Jkt 064805 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64805.TXT KAYNE
[ 10 ] 

gree in economics that would serve him well in Congress 

over the years. He entered the majors in 1955, and over the 

course of a storied 17-year career he would play for the Detroit Tigers, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. JIM is a pretty imposing 

force at committee hearings—just ask Chairman Bernanke— 

but he was a dominating presence on the mound long before 

that. 

At 6 feet 4 inches, he was a hard-throwing sidearmer who 

would tumble off the mound with every pitch he threw. By 

the end of his career, JIM could boast he was the first Major 

League pitcher to win 100 games, rack up 1,000 strikeouts, 

and throw no-hitters in both leagues. He finished with an 

impressive 224 wins, 184 losses, 2,855 strikeouts, and a 3.27 

ERA—the career stats that would earn him a spot in the 

Baseball Hall of Fame. 

JIM’s two greatest pitching achievements were his no-hitter in 1958 and the perfect game he threw on Father’s Day, 

1964, a feat that has only been accomplished 20 times in 

baseball history. Another little known feat was JIMMY’s socalled ‘‘immaculate inning’’ in 1959 when he struck out 3 

Red Sox on 9 pitches, a feat that has only been achieved 43 

other times in baseball history. 

Around here we joke that JIM likes to throw the high hard 

ones, but he developed the skill early. Over a 4-year period 

with the Phillies, JIM hit more opposing batters with pitches 

than any other pitcher in the league. In fact, over a 17-year 

career, he plunked 160 batters or nearly 10 batters a year, 

making him the 13th most dangerous pitcher of all time, 

ahead of such other well-known headhunters as Roger 

Clemens, Nolan Ryan, and Don Drysdale. 

JIM has never been afraid of a little chin music, and he 

brought that same competitive mentality to his life in public 

service. After baseball, public service seemed like a logical 

choice. It was JIMMY’s turn to give back, and give back is exactly what he did. 

When JIM walks out of this Chamber for the last time at 

the end of this session, he will be able to say with justifiable 

pride that he has given 33 years of his life to public service 

and to Kentucky. 

Over those three decades, JIM has served in all levels of 

government—from the Fort Thomas City Council to the Kentucky State Senate, to both Chambers in this building—12 

years in the House and 12 in the Senate. He has dedicated 

[ 11 ] 

his life to serving the people of Kentucky, and Kentuckians 

are grateful for his service. 

In the House he made a name for himself, among other 

things, by working tirelessly to strengthen and protect Social 

Security as chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. 

And then, in 1998, he decided to make a run at the U.S. 

Senate seat which at the time was held by Wendell Ford. It 

turned out to be a pretty close election, but once he arrived 

in the Senate, JIM set out to become one of the hardest working and most influential Members of this Chamber. 

He has been a staunch social and fiscal conservative, and 

a budget hawk who for years has sounded the alarm on the 

kind of concerns about spending and debt that drove so 

many Americans to the polls this month. JIM spoke for many 

Americans when he said in a recent statement that, being a 

grandfather to many he worries that future generations will 

be saddled by the poor decisions that are being made today. 

‘‘For the first time in my life,’’ he said, ‘‘I question if my 

grandchildren will have the same opportunities that I had.’’ 

One particular issue that has been close to JIM’s heart is 

the issue of adoption. In 2001, JIM introduced legislation to 

make adopting more affordable to American families. And in 

2007, he introduced legislation to make those tax incentives 

permanent. 

Of course, if there was ever a controversial issue regarding 

the national pastime on Capitol Hill, JIM was right at the 

forefront, including the 2005 hearings related to steroid use 

in baseball. In one memorable exchange from that hearing, 

JIM offered the following testimony, from his own experience 

as a player: ‘‘Mr. Chairman,’’ he said, ‘‘maybe I’m oldfashioned, [but] I remember players didn’t get better as they 

got older. We all got worse. When I played with Hank Aaron 

and Willie Mays and Ted Williams, they didn’t put on 40 

pounds to bulk up in their careers and they didn’t hit more 

homers in their late thirties than they did in their late 

twenties.’’ It was just this kind of straightforward, commonsense approach to the issues that has won JIM a legion of admirers not only on the baseball diamond, but off of it. On 

this issue in particular, JIM’s passion and personal perspective helped shed light not only on the dangers of steroid use 

at the professional level, but on the growing steroid epidemic 

among young athletes at all levels. 

Despite his high profile, JIM never forgot about the issues 

that mattered most to his constituents back home. He’s been 

[ 12 ] 

a staunch supporter of clean coal technologies as an effective, 

efficient way to use coal, improve our environment, and 

bring jobs to Kentucky. Another issue that was extremely 

important to all Kentuckians was the failed cleanup of radioactive contamination that was found in the drinking water 

wells of residences near the Department of Energy’s uranium 

enrichment plant in Paducah, KY, in 1988. In 2004, JIM

harshly criticized the DOE’s cleanup efforts, as well as called 

several hearings on Capitol Hill to draw attention to DOE’s 

failure to compensate many workers that had been stricken 

with radiation-related diseases. 

On every issue he has taken on, whether national, statewide or local, JIM has been a man of principle from start to 

finish. He has stayed true to himself. In a truly remarkable 

life, he has got a lot to be proud of. But if you were to ask 

JIM to list his greatest achievement, I don’t think he would 

say it was his election to the U.S. Senate or his induction to 

the Hall of Fame. They would both come in a distant second 

and third to the day he married his high school sweetheart, 

Mary. JIM and Mary still live in the northern Kentucky town 

where he grew up. They have been married for nearly 60 

years. Together, they have raised nine children. And they 

enjoy nothing more than spending time with the next generation of Bunnings—which last time I checked included 35 

grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. JIM will tell you 

there’s no secret to his success. He is happy to give all the 

credit to Mary. As he put it in his Hall of Fame induction 

speech, she is his ‘‘rock.’’ 

Today, we honor and pay tribute to our friend and colleague for more than three decades of public service. JIM will 

be remembered for his two Hall of Fame-worthy careers, for 

his example of principled leadership, and for his devotion to 

God, country, and family. On behalf of myself and the entire 

Senate family, JIM, we thank you for your service, and we 

wish you the best in the next chapter of your life. 

I yield the floor. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Arizona is recognized. 

Mr. KYL. Madam President, I join Senator McConnell in 

a tribute to my friend and colleague, JIM BUNNING. JIM and 

I came into the House of Representatives at the same time 

as part of the 100th class. I have enjoyed being with him as 

well in the Senate. JIM and Mary are counted among the 

best friends my wife Carol and I have. I agree with Senator 

[ 13 ] 

McConnell that while people may disagree with JIM

BUNNING, no one has ever doubted his courage, his sincerity, 

his love for this country, his desire to do what is right, and 

his commitment to all those efforts. So I will greatly miss 

JIM when he is no longer part of the Senate. I think it is 

probably time for JIM and Mary to have a little bit of time 

to spend with all those children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. Obviously, we all wish them both well. 

Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to say a few words 

of farewell to my colleague from Kentucky, Senator JIM

BUNNING. We will both be retiring from this Chamber when 

this Congress concludes, and I wish him and his wife Mary 

Catherine, their sons and daughters, and the rest of their 

family the very best in the future. 

As we all know, prior to becoming a politician, JIM

BUNNING was a world-class baseball pitcher. He had a distinguished career primarily with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, during which he became the second pitcher 

in Major League history to record 1,000 strikeouts and 100 

wins in both the American and National Leagues. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Of course, after such a distinguished career he could have 

simply hung up his cleats, moved back to his home State of 

Kentucky, and enjoyed a quiet retirement with his family. 

Instead, he decided to take the work ethic and competitive 

spirit that drove him in baseball and use his energy to give 

back to his community as a public servant. In 1977, he ran 

for and won a city council seat in Fort Thomas, KY. He was 

then elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 1979. After 

serving in the State senate as Republican leader, he ran to 

represent Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District in 1986. 

He also won that election, and served for 12 years in the 

U.S. House of Representatives. 

In 1998, JIM ran to replace Senator Wendell Ford, who 

was retiring. He kept his winning streak alive, not only winning that initial Senate contest, but also reelection in 2004. 

When he retires this year, JIM BUNNING will have amassed 

an impressive winning streak in politics, just as he did in 

baseball. 

As you know, life in the U.S. Senate is about working out 

disagreements through deliberation and debate. This process 

of lawmaking has served to ensure that the voices of a broad 

range of Americans are heard as we work to craft the laws 

and policies we must ultimately all abide by. 

[ 14 ] 

As a Senator, JIM BUNNING has always stood up for his beliefs, and fought for what he thought was right. As a member of the Senate Banking, Budget, Energy, and Finance 

Committees, Senator BUNNING has been a staunchly conservative voice on economic policy. 

While he and I seldom have seen eye to eye on these matters, his deep convictions have given voice to the concerns of 

citizens who share his point of view, and thereby have 

helped to shape and enrich our debates on the important 

questions we have faced over the years. 

I wish him further success in whatever endeavors he pursues, as well as many happy, healthy years to come with his 

family. 

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 

my colleague, Senator JIM BUNNING. After 12 years in the 

U.S. Senate, Senator BUNNING is retiring from this Chamber 

at the end of this session. 

JIM has led a remarkable life. As a baseball fan, I am especially envious of his first career as a Major League pitcher. 

He was a classic, hardnosed competitor, which foreshadowed 

his style as a public servant later in life. My favorite story 

about Senator BUNNING’s baseball career is that he was the 

only pitcher to strike out Ted Williams three times in a single game. He is also one of only seven pitchers to throw a 

perfect game and a no-hitter. Senator BUNNING retired from 

the sport in 1971 with 2,855 career strikeouts, which, at the 

time, was the second highest total of all time. He was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Following his outstanding baseball career, JIM went into 

politics. Once again, he was a winner. He has held office at 

the local, State, and Federal level. After serving Kentucky’s 

Fourth District for 12 years in the House of Representatives, 

Senator BUNNING began his service in this Chamber in 1999. 

I have served with him on the Budget and Finance Committees, and have always known him to freely speak his mind 

and ask tough questions. He remained true to the fierce style 

he first demonstrated as a young pitcher who was not afraid 

to brush back a hitter. 

Nor was Senator BUNNING intimidated by the often arcane 

and technical issues we confronted as members of the Finance Committee. Over the years we have served there as 

colleagues, we have worked productively on a wide range of 

legislative proposals that included the taxation of life insurance companies, shortening the depreciation period for farm 

equipment, and capital gains treatment for songwriters, just 

[ 15 ] 

to name a few. He was always willing to reach across the 

aisle to help achieve a common objective, a longstanding Finance Committee tradition. 

Senator BUNNING will now enter a new phase in his life, 

and I am certain he will now have the luxury of spending 

time with his wonderful family. JIM has the good fortune of 

being married to his childhood sweetheart, Mary. They met 

in grade school, and I am impressed that JIM knew at such 

a young age that he found a truly special person. I find Mary 

to be an absolutely lovely woman and admire their lasting 

love for each other. Mary is the mother of their 9 children, 

and JIM and Mary now share 40 grandchildren. I wish JIM, 

Mary, and their entire family many years of health and happiness. 

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in appreciation and admiration of Senator JIM BUNNING. 

Millions of American baseball fans know JIM as one of the 

most accomplished athletes of his generation. JIM pitched for 

both the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies during his 

17-year career. He was the second pitcher in history to notch 

100 wins and strike out 1,000 batters in both the American 

and National Leagues, and when he retired he was second 

on the alltime strikeout list. His impressive career earned 

him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

While he wore the uniforms of teams in Michigan and 

Pennsylvania, JIM’s heart never left his native Kentucky. Six 

years after retiring from baseball, JIM decided to run for 

public office and won a city council seat in Fort Thomas, KY. 

He was later elected to the Kentucky State Senate and became the Republican leader. Kentuckians then elected JIM to 

the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fourth District of 

Kentucky where he served until 1998. During his time in the 

House, JIM committed himself to defending Social Security 

as chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee. His unwavering stance on protecting Social Security contributed to 

the establishment of the Social Security Administration as a 

separate agency. 

JIM was elected to the Senate in 1998 and quickly became 

a strong voice for fiscal responsibility. He became the first 

native Kentuckian on the Finance Committee in 40 years, 

and also served on the Budget Committee—and in both capacities I had the opportunity to work with him. JIM also 

served as chairman of the Banking Committee’s Economic 

Policy Subcommittee, where he authored legislation that reformed the National Flood Insurance Program and made it 

[ 16 ] 

possible for millions of Americans to protect their homes 

affordably. 

JIM’s passion for policymaking has helped him shape legislation that will govern our Nation for years to come, but his 

greatest legacy is his family. He and Mary raised 9 children 

and have 35 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Sandy 

and I offer our best wishes to the entire Bunning family, and 

we thank him for his years of service to our great Nation. 

Mr. DEMINT. Mr. President, I rise in tribute to Senator 

JIM BUNNING, who is retiring after honorably serving the 

people of Kentucky for 24 years. 

Throughout his political career, JIM has been a fierce taxpayer’s advocate, a bold defender of life and protector of families, a small business ally, and a courageous critic of bad 

government policy. 

As the targets of his criticism have learned, JIM’s words 

can sometimes be sharp. That is because cold, hard truths 

have sharp edges and JIM BUNNING speaks in cold, hard 

truths. 

Even when it comes to his own party. 

In summer 2008, shortly after a Republican Treasury Secretary obtained the authority to pump unlimited money into 

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, JIM was rightfully upset. 

‘‘When I picked up the newspaper yesterday, I thought I 

woke up in France,’’ he told the Secretary in a hearing. ‘‘But 

no,’’ JIM said, ‘‘it turned out it was socialism here in the 

United States.’’ 

JIM often asked simple questions that were easy to answer 

truthfully and didn’t tolerate equivocation. In the case of the 

Fannie and Freddie bailouts, he asked the Treasury Secretary, ‘‘Where will the money come from?’’ 

The Treasury Secretary said it was better to ‘‘be unspecified and enhance confidence in the market.’’ 

JIM asked again saying that ‘‘doesn’t answer the question. 

Where is the money going to come from if you have to put 

it up?’’ 

There was more waffling, but JIM finally pushed the 

Treasury Secretary to admit the money was going to come 

from the taxpayer. The taxpayers were going to pay. 

He later called for the resignation of that Republican 

Treasury Secretary because he was, as JIM put it, ‘‘acting 

like the minister of finance in China.’’ 

‘‘No company fails in Communist China, because they’re 

all partly owned by the government,’’ JIM noted. 

[ 17 ] 

JIM has also been a brave critic of the Federal Reserve. He 

has told the Fed Chairman, who was appointed by a Republican President and helped orchestrate bailouts for those considered too big to fail that, ‘‘You are the definition of a moral 

hazard.’’ 

‘‘Your Fed has become the creature from Jekyll Island,’’ 

JIM said. And then he asked for the Fed Chairman’s resignation, too. 

JIM has performed a great public service by bringing attention to the economic damage being caused by the Fed with 

cheap money when no one else would. He was there calling 

for more oversight of the Federal Reserve long before it became a Tea Party cause, and he deserves credit for driving 

the issue into the mainstream. 

As Senator, you could say JIM’s approach has been as direct as the fastballs he threw that made him a Major 

League, Hall of Fame pitcher. When the Democrats tried to 

pass off phony paygo rules as real reform, JIM exposed it as 

a trick pitch. It was a gimmick to fool Americans into thinking they would pay for their big spending plans. 

The Democrats said paygo would obligate Congress to offset any new spending with new revenues or spending cuts 

elsewhere in the budget. Soon after, they tried to pass $10 

billion in unpaid for unemployment extensions. Moreover, 

the Democrats wanted to pass it by unanimous consent— 

Meaning no public debate, no rollcall vote, no accountability. 

The Democrats bet no one would oppose benefits for the 

unemployed in this bad economy. They believed, as they continue to, that they can keep giving out money without paying 

for it and without any consequences. 

JIM did not concede. He objected and stood his ground on 

the Senate floor. And by doing so, he showed everyone what 

a sham paygo is. The Wall Street Journal called it ‘‘his finest 

hour.’’ 

JIM BUNNING announced his retirement in July 2009, more 

than a year ago. He could have taken it easy during his last 

years in the Senate. He didn’t have to tackle the Treasury, 

the Fed, or insist unemployment extensions be paid for. 

But he did. JIM BUNNING, the Hall of Fame pitcher, the 

distinguished Senator, father of 9 and grandfather of 40 

cared too much for this country to sit this one out. 

He said in his farewell speech that he prays the Members 

of Congress will stop spending our future generations into 

higher taxes and a lower standard of living than we have 

now. I pray for that, too. 

[ 18 ] 

Finally, I express my gratitude to Senator BUNNING for 

supporting the new Republican from his State who will inherit his Senate seat next year. JIM campaigned for someone 

to take his place who would say no to bailouts, stop the takeovers, end the wasteful spending, and bring down the national debt. The Nation will benefit greatly by continuing to 

have a Senator at JIM’s desk who believes as much in the 

principles of free markets and freedom as JIM. 

Thank you JIM for giving America your best until the very 

last inning. 

SUNDAY, December 19, 2010 

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in honor 

of my good friend, Senator JIM BUNNING. Senator BUNNING

will be departing from the Senate at the end of this session. 

I wanted to take a few moments to offer some remarks. 

JIM is a distinguished two-term Senator whose career in 

public service has spanned more than three decades. Yet 

when the history books are written, it is likely that he will 

be more well known for his first love, the game of baseball. 

JIM was born in Southgate, KY, in 1931. He graduated 

from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, with a degree in 

economics. 

Most know that Senator BUNNING was a Major League 

pitcher for 17 years, mostly with the Detroit Tigers and the 

Philadelphia Phillies. He was, not to put too fine a point on 

it, one of the greatest pitchers to ever put on a glove. JIM retired with the second-highest strikeout total in baseball history. He was only the second pitcher in history to record 

1,000 strikeouts and 100 victories in both the American and 

National Leagues. Before JIM, only the legendary Cy Young 

had accomplished that feat. On June 21, 1964, JIM pitched 

a perfect game against the New York Mets, achieving one of 

the rarest and most sought-after feats in all of sports. Senator BUNNING was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame 

in 1996, 2 years before he came to the Senate. 

After retiring from baseball, JIM chose a life of public service. In 1977, he was elected to the city council of Fort Thomas, KY. Two years later, he was elected to the Kentucky 

State Senate, where he became the Republican leader. In 

1986, he was elected to the first of his six terms in the U.S. 

House of Representatives. In 1998, Senator BUNNING was 

elected to the Senate and has served here ever since. 

[ 19 ] 

Throughout his time in Washington, Senator BUNNING has 

been an advocate for a number of causes, including the preservation of Social Security for seniors, fiscal and financial reform, and ending America’s dependence on foreign energy 

sources. He’s played a key role on some of this Chamber’s 

most influential committees, including the Banking, Energy, 

Budget, and Finance Committees. 

For the last several years, I have had the opportunity to 

work with Senator BUNNING on the Finance Committee. I 

have always admired his commitment to his principles and 

his willingness to speak plainly when it became necessary to 

do so. His presence on the committee and in this Chamber 

will certainly be missed. 

I want to wish JIM and his family the best of luck going 

forward. 

WEDNESDAY, December 22, 2010 

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I would like to take a 

few minutes to pay tribute to the 16 Senators who will be 

departing this body at the end of the year. 

I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve 

alongside each of these Senators as colleagues and as 

friends. All served their States with distinction and gave 

their constituents strong voices in the world’s greatest deliberative body. Senators Evan Bayh, Robert Bennett, Kit 

Bond, Sam Brownback, JIM BUNNING, Roland Burris, Chris 

Dodd, Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, Carte Goodwin, Judd 

Gregg, Ted Kaufman, George LeMieux, Blanche Lincoln, 

Arlen Specter, and George Voinovich—each left an indelible 

mark on the Senate, and I wish them well as they take on 

new challenges and opportunities into the future. 

I would like to speak briefly about a few of the Senators 

I knew best and served with in committees to recognize their 

contributions and accomplishments and share my fond 

memories of them and the legacies they will leave behind. . . . 

I wish Senator JIM BUNNING well as he departs the Senate. Much of his legacy can be defined by his competitive 

spirit and strong work ethic. These attributes have been evident throughout his many successes in life, first in his career 

as a Hall of Fame baseball player and then later as a public 

servant, representing the people of Kentucky. Being an avid 

sports fan myself, I hold deep admiration for those who can 

play at the highest levels of competitive sports and later 

bring that drive to the Senate! 

[ 20 ] 

Following his highly successful professional baseball career 

for 17 years, JIM decided he wanted to give back to his community. In 1977, he ran for city council and then later ran 

for the Kentucky State Senate eventually becoming the Republican leader. 

In 1986, JIM was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fourth District of Kentucky, where he served 

for 12 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998. 

During JIM’s tenure in Congress, he has established himself as an expert and defender of Social Security, fighting 

hard to protect Social Security for current and future generations. 

His hard work and devotion will be missed by the people 

of Kentucky, whom I know are grateful for his many years 

of service. . . . 

In conclusion, the departing Senators’ contributions, their 

dedicated service, and the issues they championed will be remembered long after their final days in the Senate. 

I believe I can speak for my fellow Senators when I say 

that we will all miss our departing friends. 

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, when the 111th Congress draws to a close, we will bid farewell to 16 colleagues 

who have collectively given more than 200 years of service 

to our Nation through their service in the Senate. These include seven of the Senate’s most experienced Members. People like Chris Dodd and Arlen Specter who have each served 

five terms in the Senate. Kit Bond who has served four 

terms and Bob Bennett, Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, and 

Judd Gregg, who have each served three terms in this 

Chamber. . . . 

In January we will feel the loss of the great pitching ace, 

JIM BUNNING, and Evan Bayh, both respected colleagues on 

the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. They are 

among six of my Energy Committee colleagues who are leaving the Senate this year. . . . 

It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with each of 

the people who will leave this Chamber when we adjourn 

sine die. Each has made substantial contributions to their 

States, to the Nation, and to the Senate during their time 

here. 

Æ