George V. Voinovich 

U.S. SENATOR FROM OHIO 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
George V. Voinovich 


64817.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2012

S. DOC. 111–38 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

George V. Voinovich 

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: 

Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 18 

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

Boxer, Barbara, of California .................................................... 11 

Brown, Sherrod, of Ohio ............................................................ 13 

Brownback, Sam, of Kansas ...................................................... 16 

Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky ....................................................... 26 

Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware ............................................... 16 

Collins, Susan M., of Maine ...................................................... 22 

Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota ................................................. 20 

Cornyn, John, of Texas .............................................................. 21 

Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut ....................................... 17 

Durbin, Richard, of Illinois ........................................................ 17 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................................... 24 

Harkin, Tom, of Iowa ................................................................. 5 

Kyl, Jon, of Arizona ................................................................... 9 

Levin, Carl, of Michigan ............................................................ 10 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 7 

Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska ....................................................... 29 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 6 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 4, 13 

Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine .................................................... 26 

Voinovich, George V., of Ohio ................................................... 9 

Warner, Mark R., of Virginia .................................................... 7 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

GEORGE VOINOVICH is one of Ohio’s most distinguished 

public servants. His career in public service dates back to 

1963 when he was appointed assistant attorney general for 

the State of Ohio. He later served as a State representative, 

Cuyahoga County commissioner, county auditor, and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio. In 1979, he was elected 

mayor of Cleveland, serving for 10 years, and in 1990 he was 

elected Governor of Ohio and served for two terms. 

GEORGE VOINOVICH is the only person to have served as 

chairman of the National Governors Association and president of the National League of Cities. In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and was reelected to a second term in 

2004. 

As mayor, GEORGE VOINOVICH helped turn Cleveland 

around after it became the first major city to declare bankruptcy since the Depression. As Governor, he led Ohio 

through the early 1990s recession. During the Voinovich gubernatorial administration, unemployment hit a 25-year low 

thanks to the creation of 600,000 new jobs, due in part to 

such initiatives as the Job Creation Tax Credit which helped 

create or retain at least 163,000 jobs from 1993 to 1998. 

GEORGE VOINOVICH’s leadership and dedication have taken 

Ohio a long way. He has been guided by his own motto—‘‘Together we can do it!’’—and the State of Ohio’s motto—‘‘With 

God all things are possible.’’ GEORGE VOINOVICH didn’t lose 

sight of those principles in the U.S. Senate as he continued 

to make a difference for people throughout Ohio, our Nation, 

and the world. 

Senator VOINOVICH has been called ‘‘one of the most humble and hardest working Members of the U.S. Senate’’ and 

he has received numerous awards for his work to strengthen 

the business climate in Ohio and the Nation. 

As a former chairman and ranking member of the EPW 

Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Senator 

VOINOVICH committed himself to the safe and secure growth 

of nuclear power and made important strides in the nuclear 

renaissance. Throughout his Senate career Senator 

VOINOVICH called for a ‘‘Second Declaration of Independence’’ 

[ vi ] 

from foreign sources of energy, prompting the Akron Beacon 

Journal to editorialize that: 

VOINOVICH understands the need for an energy strategy that operated on 

many fronts from renewable to nuclear power to improved efficiency. 

Over the last decade, Senator VOINOVICH has been actively 

involved in crafting America’s foreign and national security 

policies. He used his status as a 5-year member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to conduct oversight of U.S. 

foreign policy in the most critical parts of the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, the Balkans, and 

former captive nations in Eastern Europe. Senator 

VOINOVICH played a leadership role in strengthening and enlarging the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance and was the only Member of Congress in the room at 

the 2002 NATO summit in Prague where membership was 

formally extended to Latvia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, 

Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. 

Senator VOINOVICH has also carried the banners of advancing U.N. reform, strengthening U.S. public diplomacy, promoting lasting peace and stability in Southeast Europe, and 

combating global anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of 

intolerance. His Visa Waiver Program legislation was eagerly adopted, and is now benefiting countries that support 

the United States and are committed to fighting terrorism 

around the globe. 

GEORGE VOINOVICH’s appreciation for those in the trenches 

was bolstered by his experiences as Governor of Ohio and 

mayor of Cleveland. During his 12 years as Senator, including as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee 

on the Oversight of Government Management, he demonstrated that appreciation by getting into the weeds of 

management challenges facing the Federal workforce and 

learning details of arcane matters, such as security clearance. Over the course of his Senate career, he held more 

than 50 hearings and passed more than 25 pieces of legislation to transform government management and the Federal 

workforce. 

Throughout his Senate career, GEORGE VOINOVICH served 

on the Committee on Appropriations, the Environment and 

Public Works Committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Ethics Committee. 

Of all he has accomplished, GEORGE VOINOVICH counts his 

family—his wife Janet, his three children and his eight 

grandchildren—as his greatest gifts in life. 

[ vii ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 

Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to say farewell to the Senate after 12 years. I would like to take time 

to convey my heartfelt thanks to all of those who have 

helped me during my time in the Senate and to reflect briefly on the work we were able to get done, work that I think 

made a difference for the people of my State and our Nation. 

I also will share a few observations with my colleagues, 

both those who are staying as the 112th, as well as Senators 

yet to come. At this stage in my life, I look back on my 44 

years in public service and I cannot help but thank God for 

the immeasurable blessings he has bestowed upon me. Each 

time I walk the steps of the Senate, I look up at the Statue 

of Freedom on the top of our Capitol dome, and I think of 

my grandparents who came to America with nothing but the 

clothes on their backs. They could not read or write and 

spoke only a few words of English. 

I have to pinch myself as a reminder that this has not 

been just a wonderful dream. The grandson of Serbian and 

Slovenian immigrants who grew up on the East Side of 

Cleveland is a U.S. Senator. Only in America. 

Truly none of us should take for granted the economic and 

political freedoms we have. My dad used to say the reason 

we have more of the world’s bounty is because we get more 

out of our people because of our free enterprise and educational systems. Mr. Gudikuntz, my social studies teacher, 

said, ‘‘A democracy is where everyone has an equal opportunity to become unequal.’’ 

So during my final days in the Senate, I think of the people in my life who have gotten me up the steps to this hallowed Chamber: My wife of 48 years—Janet is God’s greatest 

blessing to me. She has never pulled or pushed me, but she 

has always been at my side; my three children on Earth, 

George, Betsy and Peter, and my angel in Heaven, Molly, 

and my eight grandchildren, my siblings and their extended 

families. It is not easy to have a father, brother, or uncle in 

this business. The people of Ohio who have facilitated my 

[ viii ] 

election to eight different offices, who have stuck with me 

even though on occasion they have not agreed with me, have 

my deep appreciation. I can never thank them enough. I 

hope they know that every decision I have made and every 

policy I have crafted, although not always the easiest or 

most popular at the time, was aimed to improve and make 

a positive difference in our lives. I am very humbled to have 

been given the privilege to serve them through the years. 

Here in the Senate, both in Ohio and in Washington, I am 

so proud of what my wonderful staff has done for me and the 

people of Ohio. I take fatherly pride in having had the 

chance to touch their lives and see them grow. I also think 

of our colleagues in the other Senate offices who have helped 

and cooperated with them as we worked together to solve 

our Nation’s problems, meet challenges, and seize opportunities. My colleagues and I should be most humble; for all we 

are is a reflection of these wonderful, loyal, hard-working individuals. 

I also thank all of you in this Chamber for the courtesies 

you have extended to me. I miss my first 2 years when I presided over the Senate, the first one to get to 100 hours in the 

chair. It was a wonderful time, and thank you all for what 

you have done for me over the years. 

The folks in the Attending Physician’s Office have taken 

care of me physically. Our two great Chaplains, Lloyd 

Ogilvie and Barry Black, along with the wonderful priests at 

St. Joseph’s on the Hill have helped me grow spiritually. I 

have to mention Jim Inhofe, hosting our Bible study each 

week. He honored me by inviting me to a codel to Africa this 

year. There is no one in this Senate who has done more for 

public diplomacy for the United States in Africa than Jim 

Inhofe. 

I have learned in my life that you cannot do anything 

alone. So, of course, I think of my colleagues in the Senate 

whom I have learned to know and respect. I have been 

blessed to call them friends. The American people have made 

it clear that they are not happy with partisanship in Washington. But the fact is, there are some great partnerships 

here, and those partnerships and relationships result in action. 

I do not think many people outside Washington understand that a lot gets done here on a bipartisan basis. Many 

Americans think the only action in the Senate is on the floor 

of the Senate. But much of the action in the Senate is in the 

[ ix ] 

committees and meetings with other Members off the floor, 

as well as through unanimous consent. 

Once a bill gets through committee, perhaps one or two 

people might have a problem with it, but we work it out, call 

them, go see them, it gets done. But it is never reported in 

the paper about how we are working together on so many 

pieces of legislation. 

I am proud of the contribution I have made to the country 

in the area of human capital and government management. 

The fact is, though, without my brother, Dan Akaka—and he 

is my brother—the changes never would have occurred. 

There is nobody who has done more to reform the way we 

treat our Federal workers, to make us more competitive and 

work harder and smarter and do more with less than what 

Dan and I have tried to do over the years, 12 years of working at it. It is an area that is neglected by most legislators 

because they do not appreciate how important the people are 

who work in government. I call them the A-Team. Any successful organization has to have good finances and good people. 

I am also proud of my work in helping to relaunch the nuclear renaissance, which will help deliver baseload energy for 

America, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and reignite 

our manufacturing base in Ohio and in our country. I could 

not have done this without Senator Tom Carper, who has 

been both a friend and a colleague since our days as Governors. Tom’s leadership was key to organizing our recent 

successful Nuclear Summit in Washington, and Tom has 

taken the baton from me and will carry nuclear energy to 

the finish line as part of the future of America’s energy supply, along with Mike Crapo, Jim Risch, Lamar Alexander, 

and others. 

I also recall the passage of the landmark PRO–IP bill, a 

bill to protect our intellectual property, by the way, the last 

bastion of our global competitiveness. It was a multiyear 

process that would not have succeeded without the work of 

the business community and my friend, Evan Bayh, whom I 

first met when we were Governors of neighboring States. 

As many of you know, I have been an ardent champion for 

my brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, 

and the countries of the former Yugoslavia. As such, I am 

proud to have led the effort to expand NATO and increase 

membership in the Visa Waiver Program. These two accomplishments would not have happened without the bipartisan 

leadership of Dick Lugar and Joe Biden on the Senate ForVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:09 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064817 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64817.TXT KAYNE
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eign Relations Committee and the help of Joe Lieberman and 

Susan Collins on the Homeland Security and Government 

Affairs Committee. 

I pray that the bipartisanship that I have witnessed and 

enjoyed in both foreign relations and homeland security will 

continue. I must also acknowledge Senator Jeanne Shaheen 

for her keen interest in Southeast Europe. We traveled together to the region in February of this year, and I am 

heartened that she has picked up the mantle on our mission 

to ensure the door of NATO and European Union membership remains open to all states in the Western Balkans, 

which is key, I believe, to our national security. 

I have also championed the cause of monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, making it a priority within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and our 

State Department. The progress that has been made over the 

years could not have happened without the leadership of 

Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Chris Smith, and the late 

Congressman Tom Lantos. 

One of the highlights of my career was the passage of the 

global anti-Semitism bill, which created a special envoy at 

the State Department to monitor and combat global antiSemitism. These are just a few examples of great bipartisan 

work going on in the Senate. But much of the time this is 

blurred because of the media’s addiction to conflict. 

Even though I do not agree with the bipartisan resolution 

on extending the Bush tax cuts, I compliment the President 

and leaders in Congress for sitting down and working together to find a compromise. 

One of my frustrations after working so hard to find common ground on significant issues over the past 12 years has 

been that it does not happen often enough. The American 

people know that even when members of a family get along, 

it is difficult to get things done. So they most certainly know 

that when we are laser focused on fighting politicking and 

messaging, their concerns and plight are forgotten, and nothing controversial gets done. 

There is a growing frustration that Congress is oblivious 

to their problems, anxieties, and fears. Frankly, I think one 

action leaders could take at the beginning of each Congress 

is to assess the issues at hand. What are the items that Republicans and Democrats agree should get done to make our 

Nation more competitive and make a difference in people’s 

lives, and set a common agenda. By setting collective goals, 

by an agreement from leadership, I believe that will set the 

[ xi ] 

environment for committee chairmen and ranking members 

for the year. 

Think about it. What kind of planning do we do? Most successful corporations have 5-year plans: Where are we going? 

What are our priorities? What are the things we agree upon? 

Let’s not spend time on those things where we disagree. 

Additionally, an unacceptable amount of time is spent on 

fundraising. It is my estimate that 20 to 25 percent of a Senator’s time is spent on raising millions of dollars, and with 

it comes the negative fallout in terms of the public view of 

Congress, bowing to contributions from special interests. In 

addition to this negative impression, the time spent raising 

money too often interferes with the time we need for our 

families, our colleagues, and, most important, doing the job 

the people elected us to do. My last 2 years have been my 

most productive and enjoyable because I have not had to 

chase money at home and around the country. None of us 

like it, but nothing seems to get done about it. 

Ideological differences aside, it is necessary for us to have 

good working relationships if we are going to get anything 

done for the people who elected us. I know it is possible from 

my personal experience. As mayor of Cleveland, I worked 

side by side with George Forbes, the most powerful Democratic city councilman in Cleveland’s history. My entire city 

council was Democrats. George and I first met when our children attended the Mayor Works Program in the Cleveland 

Public Schools System. Who would have guessed that we 

would become the tag team that turned Cleveland around 

after it became the first major city to go into bankruptcy? 

I was pummeled by the media on occasion in regard to 

who was actually running city hall. My answer was, both of 

us. Forbes and I worked together as friends and partners. 

One of the great satisfactions when I left the job of mayor 

was that USA Today highlighted both of us: The tall AfricanAmerican Democrat, Big George, and the short White Republican, Little GEORGE, working together to bring about Cleveland’s renaissance. 

In Columbus, I found a worthy adversary when I was Governor in Democrat Vern Riffe, who was speaker of the house 

for my first 4 years as Ohio Governor. My office was on the 

30th floor of the building named after Riffe while he was still 

alive and serving an unprecedented 22 years as speaker. 

Well, every day when I went over to the Riffe Tower, I had 

to genuflect before his bust. But, somehow, Vern and I deVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:09 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064817 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64817.TXT KAYNE
[ xii ] 

cided we were going to figure out how we could work together and move Ohio forward and become good friends. 

Needless to say, folks, I was dismayed when I learned this 

year that President Obama had held only a single one-on-one 

meeting with Mitch McConnell. One meeting. When I was 

Governor, I met with Vern Riffe and Stan Aranoff, who was 

president of the senate, every 2 weeks, developing good 

interpersonal relationships and a trust which allowed us to 

move Ohio forward, from the Rust Belt to the Jobs Belt. 

I am hoping we have entered a new era in the relationship 

between the President and leadership in Congress. Our situation today is more critical than at any time in my 44 years 

in government. How we work together will determine the future of our country. We must also recognize that if we diminish the President in the eyes of the world, it is to the detriment of our Nation’s international influence and will impact our national security. We are on thin ice, and we need 

the help of our allies. They need our help as well. 

An example is the START Treaty. Although I have had 

some reservations about it, they have been satisfied. It is vitally important to get done this year or, alternatively, we 

must make it clear the Senate will ratify the treaty as soon 

as the 112th Congress convenes. To not do so will do irreparable harm to America’s standing with our NATO allies and 

would be exploited by our enemies, particularly those factions in Russia that would like to break off communication 

and revert back to our cold war relationship. There are plenty of them over there still smarting from the fact that the 

wall went down, NATO expanded, and we encroached on 

their area of influence. 

Two weeks ago Janet and I attended a farewell dinner 

hosted by Mitch McConnell. Although I have had differences 

with Mitch, I have to credit him with keeping the Republican 

team together. There is no one more strategic than Mitch, 

Jon Kyl, and Lamar Alexander. Still, I share the concern of 

many of my colleagues that too often the herd mentality has 

taken over our respective conferences. At the dinner Mitch 

hosted, I shared with my Republican colleagues what Ohio 

State University coach Jim Tressel defines as success in his 

book ‘‘The Winners Manual.’’ Success is the inner satisfaction and peace of mind that come from knowing I did the 

best I was capable of doing for the group. 

Success is a team sport. Hopefully, this will become the 

Senate’s definition of success, because finding common 

[ xiii ] 

ground and teamwork is what it will take to confront the 

problems facing our Nation. 

My colleague, Senator Chris Dodd, hit the nail on the head 

when he said: 

It is whether each one of the 100 Senators can work together—living up 

to the incredible honor that comes with the title, and the awesome responsibility that comes with the office. 

We do have a symbiotic relationship, and I am encouraged 

that more and more of my colleagues understand that. I was 

quite impressed with the fact that 60 percent of the Senate 

representation on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform supported the recommendations of 

the chairmen, including Tom Coburn, Mike Crapo, Judd 

Gregg, Kent Conrad, and Dick Durbin. As far as I am concerned, they are true patriots. 

As our colleague Tom Coburn said just before the commission vote: 

The time for action is now. We can’t afford to wait until the next election 

to begin this process. Long before the skyrocketing cost of entitlements 

cause our national debt to triple and tax rates to double, our economy may 

collapse under the weight of this burden. We are already near a precipice. 

In the near future, we could experience a collapse in the value of our dollar, 

hyperinflation, or other consequences that would force Congress to face a set 

of choices far more painful than those proposed in this plan. 

Here we are, in a situation where we are on an 

unsustainable fiscal course caused by explosive and unchecked growth in spending and entitlement obligations 

without funding. We have an outdated Tax Code that does 

not sufficiently encourage savings and economic growth, a 

skyrocketing national debt that puts our credit rating in serious jeopardy and should give all of us great pause. 

Fareed Zakaria posed questions that should haunt all of us 

in Monday’s Washington Post. 

So when will we get serious about our fiscal mess? In 2020 or 2030, when 

the needed spending cuts and tax hikes get much larger? If we cannot inflict 

a little pain now, who will impose a lot of pain later? Does anyone believe 

that Washington will one day develop the political courage it now lacks? 

And what if, while we are getting around to doing something, countries get 

nervous about lending us money and our interest rates rise? 

I believe the American people get it. They recognize that 

our fiscal situation is in the intensive care unit on life support. 

As I walk down the steps of the U.S. Capitol for the last 

time, I pray the Holy Spirit will inspire my colleagues to 

make the right decision for our country’s future and work together to tackle our fiscal crisis. You have the future of our 

[ xiv ] 

Nation and the future of our children and grandchildren in 

your hands. 

I have already spoken too long. If my wife Janet were 

here, she would be scratching her head. That is the signal 

she always gives me. I got your signal, dear. 

But I would like to finish with a reading from ‘‘One Quiet 

Moment,’’ a book of daily readings from the former Senate 

Chaplain Lloyd Ogilvie which I read every day for inspiration and proper perspective. Perhaps some of my colleagues 

are familiar with his writings. This was his election day admonition: 

May the immense responsibilities they assume, and the vows they make 

when sworn into office, bring them to their knees with profound humility 

and unprecedented openness to You. Save them from the seduction of power, 

the addiction of popularity, and the aggrandizement of pride. Lord, keep 

their priorities straight: You and their families first; the good of the Nation 

second; consensus around truth third; party loyalties fourth; and personal 

success last of all. May they never forget they have been elected to serve 

and not to be served. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor. 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH 

[ 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. . . . 

Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH has been a mayor and a Governor and a Senator, a strong voice in concerns of federalism. 

Federal workers have GEORGE to thank for years of attention 

to issues involving Federal employees that most of us were 

too busy to pay as much attention to. . . . 

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. 

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. 

[ 5 ] 

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

THURSDAY, December 9, 2010 

Mr. HARKIN. With the close of the 111th Congress, the 

Senate will lose to retirement one of our most seasoned and 

respected Members on the other side of the aisle, Senator 

GEORGE VOINOVICH of Ohio. 

Senator VOINOVICH and I have much in common. We are 

both proud midwesterners. But here is what we really have 

in common: My mother immigrated to America from what is 

now Slovenia, the nation of Slovenia, and GEORGE’s mother 

was a first-generation American of Slovenian descent. Both 

of us were—and I think we are the only two Senators ever— 

awarded the Golden Order of Merit by the Republic of Slovenia, in part for our efforts to assist Slovenia in its campaign to rid the world of landmines and to assist the victims 

of landmines. We both care very deeply about the success of 

democracy in Slovenia, a very small nation that has set a 

powerful example of political stability, economic reform, true 

democracy, and ethnic inclusiveness in the Balkans. 

For nearly 41⁄2 decades, GEORGE VOINOVICH has devoted 

himself to public service at just about every level of government—quite amazing—as a member of the Ohio House of 

Representatives, Cuyahoga County commissioner, mayor of 

Cleveland, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Governor of Ohio, 

and, for the last 12 years, U.S. Senator from the State of 

Ohio. Across those 44 years of service, he has been respected 

for his independence, his pragmatism, and his insistence on 

putting ideology and partisanship aside in order to accomplish important things for ordinary working Americans. 

Another constant in the career of GEORGE VOINOVICH has 

been his insistence on fiscal discipline and his willingness to 

advance creative, tough-minded, nonideological approaches 

to help government live within its means. As mayor of Cleveland, he took a municipality that had recently declared bankruptcy and turned it around to become a three-time AllAmerica City winner. As Governor, he returned the State 

budget to balance despite a bad economy. And for the last 12 

years, he has been one of the Senate’s leading champions of 

fiscal conservatism. By that, I mean true fiscal conservatism, 

which means a willingness both to cut spending and to raise 

revenues as necessary in order to bring down deficits and 

[ 6 ] 

balance the books. On that score, on matters of taxing and 

spending, Senator VOINOVICH had the courage to break 

ranks with his own party on many occasions. 

Our colleague Senator VOINOVICH has many accomplishments in this body. I do not have time to mention them all, 

but I know he is particularly proud of his work as chair and, 

most recently, ranking member of the Clean Air and Nuclear 

Safety Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works, wherein he played a key role in passing the 

National Energy Security Act of 2009, which is helping our 

Nation to lessen its dependence on imported petroleum. 

He is also deservedly proud of his long leadership in the 

fight to preserve and protect Lake Erie and the other Great 

Lakes—a cause that has been a constant throughout his career in public service. Here in the Senate, he has been a cochair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and he introduced a bill 

that, when signed into law in 2008 by President Bush, ratified the Great Lakes Compact to protect these national 

treasures through better water management and conservation—a singular accomplishment by Senator VOINOVICH of 

Ohio. 

Senator VOINOVICH has achieved much during his distinguished career in public service. I could use any number of 

superlatives to describe his character and work: sterling 

character, an honest individual, someone who, when he gave 

you his word, gave you his word. To Senator VOINOVICH, a 

handshake was a handshake. It was a commitment, and he 

would never go back. But in my book, the highest accolade 

is simply that GEORGE VOINOVICH is a generous, sincere, decent person, dedicated to public service, always determined 

to do the right thing for the people of Ohio and the entire 

United States, a person dedicated to true conservative causes 

he has championed all his life. 

It has been a great honor to be his friend and colleague 

for these last years. Our friendship, of course, will continue. 

I wish GEORGE and Janet the very best in the years ahead. 

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 

[ 7 ] 

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. . . . 

To Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH and Janet Voinovich, 

thank you so much for what you have done. GEORGE

VOINOVICH has been someone who has really tried to be the 

watchdog for all Americans. He has also been an advocate 

for infrastructure investment and for early childhood care 

and education. 

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. . . . 

TUESDAY, December 14, 2010 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, I rise to pay tribute 

to Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH who has served this Chamber 

and the people of Ohio with honor over the past 12 years 

after an already long career as a devoted public servant. 

GEORGE has served in the Ohio statehouse, as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor, as the mayor of Cleveland, as Governor of 

Ohio, and as a U.S. Senator. That is quite a record of accomplishment. When GEORGE walks out of the Chamber for the 

last time, he will have served 44 years in public service. 

Yet, in a career that has taken him from Cleveland to Columbus to Washington and around the world, GEORGE has 

always made time for his family, and no one was surprised 

when in January 2009 he announced that he planned to retire at the end of this year in order to spend more time with 

Janet. 

GEORGE and Janet have been married for nearly half a 

century and they have seen a lot together. GEORGE grew up 

in the same working class neighborhood in Cleveland where 

he and Janet still call home today. He attended Collinwood 

[ 8 ] 

High School, Ohio University, and Ohio State University for 

law school. After practicing law for several years in Cleveland, he began his political career in 1963 as an assistant attorney general of Ohio. Three years later, at the tender age 

of 30, GEORGE was elected to the Ohio statehouse. 

The 1970s was a period of economic turmoil for many 

American cities, and Cleveland was no exception. In 1978, 

Cleveland became the first American city since the 1930s to 

file for bankruptcy, and GEORGE, who was serving as the 

State’s Lieutenant Governor at the time, decided he needed 

to do something to help his hometown. 

Mounting a challenge to the Democratic incumbent, Dennis Kucinich, GEORGE overcame tough odds and won the 

race. Determined to bring the city around and bring Cleveland out of the economic ditch, GEORGE organized a series of 

coalitions and public-private partnerships to bring Cleveland 

back from the brink. More important, I think GEORGE would 

tell us he helped restore confidence and pride to the city. 

His motto was ‘‘Together, We Can Do It.’’ And they did. He 

went on to serve as mayor for an entire decade and helped 

close an ugly chapter in Cleveland’s history. It was a remarkable feat. Once called the ‘‘buckle of the Rust Belt’’ and 

the butt of a lot of late night television jokes, Cleveland underwent a renaissance under GEORGE’s leadership. It paid 

down a $110 million debt, added thousands of jobs, brought 

new development and businesses downtown, and saw struggling sports franchises transformed into contenders. 

For GEORGE, it was never about him. He would never take 

full credit for the growth and prosperity Cleveland enjoyed 

or the fact that he was named one of the Nation’s top mayors. It was always about the people of Cleveland working together to make the city they knew and loved great again. 

GEORGE’s outstanding work as mayor helped him win the 

Governor’s Mansion in 1990 where he served two terms. He 

faced a fiscal mess in Columbus, too, and worked hard to 

rein in spending. One of his signature achievements as Governor was education reform, and in particular the Cleveland 

school voucher program which provided thousands of lowincome students with the opportunity for a better education 

and ultimately greater opportunities in life. His record of 

success as Governor was deep and far-reaching. He helped 

restore Ohio’s economy, balanced its budget, and saw unemployment hit a 25-year low. For a job well done, the voters 

of Ohio reelected GEORGE to a second term as Governor in 

1994 with a remarkable 72 percent of the vote. 

[ 9 ] 

Blocked by term limits from running again for Governor, 

GEORGE ran for the U.S. Senate in 1998. He took the values 

that earned him so much success in Columbus and Cleveland 

to Washington. As a Senator, he has been at the forefront of 

numerous important national debates. He has been a leading 

advocate for an effective and efficient Federal Government 

and for simplifying the Tax Code. He has been involved in 

legislation to enhance America’s competitiveness around the 

world, to reform our energy policy and to ensure America’s 

strength and security. 

GEORGE has always had my respect and admiration for his 

adherence to principle and for his straight-shooting style. He 

always told you exactly what was on his mind. 

Today we honor our colleague and friend, GEORGE

VOINOVICH, for his nearly 41⁄2 decades of public service. We 

thank Janet and the entire Voinovich family for sharing him 

with us, and on behalf of the entire Senate family, I wish to 

thank GEORGE for his service and wish him the very best in 

the years ahead. He will indeed be missed. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Arizona. 

Mr. KYL. Madam President, might I just add a word to 

what the Republican leader has just said. As the Republican 

whip, it is my job to visit with Senators about their views 

on issues and votes that are coming up. I didn’t always like 

the answer GEORGE VOINOVICH gave me, but I always knew 

that, as the leader said, it was a principled response to a 

question that reflected his well-thought-out and deeply felt 

views about the role of the government, issues on finance 

and debt, and generally from his long experience as having 

been a public leader at the State level, as well as the Federal 

level. 

So I join my colleague in paying tribute to an incredible 

public service career and especially the time I have enjoyed 

working with Senator VOINOVICH in the Senate. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Ohio. 

Mr. VOINOVICH. Madam President, I would like to express my appreciation to the minority leader and the minority whip for all of the courtesies they have extended to me 

over the last number of years. One of the things, Mitch, I 

have enjoyed doing is getting to know you and Elaine. I 

watched you become the leader. I think you have done an 

[ 10 ] 

outstanding job of keeping your team together. I appreciate 

your willingness to answer all of my telephone calls. Senator 

Kyl, the same with you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that, that we were able to keep an open dialogue on 

many of the issues in front of the United States of America. 

I wish to applaud the minority leader for reaching out to 

the President. As you know, I don’t agree with the compromise on the tax situation, but I think it is something that 

is important for the future of our country. I have always 

found that when leaders get together and spend time thinking about those things that bring them together rather than 

those things that divide them, the people of the State and 

the Nation benefit from it. 

So, again, thank you very much for your kindness to me 

over the years, both of you. 

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, aside from a few college football Saturdays each fall, Michigan and Ohio share much. 

Both States are known for our manufacturing strength. And 

both are known for the central role the Great Lakes play in 

the daily lives of our citizens. Over his 12 years in this 

Chamber, Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH has demonstrated 

that these shared interests are far more important than 

party labels. 

I have had the pleasure of working alongside Senator 

VOINOVICH on these and other important issues. Since 2007, 

he has been my cochair on the Great Lakes Task Force, and 

he has brought just as much dedication and commitment to 

that work as you would expect from an Ohioan, lover of our 

lakes, and expert angler. Recently, the greatest issue facing 

the Great Lakes has been the threat of invasive species, and 

especially Asian carp, which could devastate Great Lakes 

ecosystems if they make their way up the Mississippi River 

Valley. His strong advocacy for protecting the Lakes helped 

yield an important victory just last month with passage of 

the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act, which added the 

bighead carp to the list of species prohibited from import into 

the United States. 

Senator VOINOVICH was instrumental in helping ensure 

passage of the Great Lakes Compact, which protects the waters of the Great Lakes from diversion. He helped secure 

more than $200 million in funding for cleanup of contaminated sediments under the Great Lakes Legacy Act. He has 

been my valued partner in introducing the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act, which would provide important tools 

and funding to address a wide range of environmental conVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:09 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064817 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64817.TXT KAYNE
[ 11 ] 

cerns on the Lakes. Senator VOINOVICH also recognizes the 

integral role the Lakes play in our States’ economies, and so 

has been at the forefront of efforts to promote shipping and 

commerce on the Lakes. 

In addition to his impressive legacy on Great Lakes issues, 

Senator VOINOVICH has been a thoughtful and effective advocate for our States’ manufacturers. He and I cochair the Senate Auto Caucus, and in this role, he has done much to ensure that the domestic auto industry, the backbone of American manufacturing, remains strong. He has been a powerful 

voice in the Senate for ensuring that U.S. manufacturers, including our auto industry, are able to fully participate in 

overseas markets, just as foreign companies are given access 

to our markets; his opposition to unfair aspects of a proposed 

free trade agreement with South Korea is just one recent example of that advocacy. 

It is no surprise that in his work on these issues, Senator 

VOINOVICH has been motivated by the interests of his State 

and our Nation, and not the desire to score partisan points. 

He has throughout his time in the Senate—and before, when 

serving as a mayor and Governor—demonstrated the ability 

to find areas of bipartisan agreement, even when he faced 

political pressure to walk the party line. To cite just a recent 

example: He was one of a handful of Republicans to cross 

party lines and vote for the Small Business Jobs and Credit 

Act, which provided important new tools to help small businesses grow and provide the jobs we need to get our economy 

going. 

On these and other issues, I have had the opportunity to 

work closely with Senator VOINOVICH. I will miss him when 

we return in January. He has been a powerful and principled 

advocate for his State. The people of my State have benefited 

greatly from his work on issues of common interest between 

Michigan and Ohio. And I have benefited greatly from his 

wisdom, friendship, and teamwork. 

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the service of a fellow 

Senator and friend, Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH. He has 

spent over four decades as a public servant and has been a 

tireless advocate for the State of Ohio. 

Senator VOINOVICH started his career in public service in 

1967 when he served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He then went on to serve as a county commissioner, the mayor of Cleveland, and as the Governor of Ohio. 

In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. 

[ 12 ] 

Having worked extensively in local government, Senator 

VOINOVICH understood first hand the importance of Federal 

investment in infrastructure before he ever arrived in Washington. 

Senator VOINOVICH has served with me on the Environment and Public Works Committee since the 106th Congress, 

1999. Throughout his career, he has been a great advocate 

for transportation. As the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee during the 111th 

Congress, he helped us ensure ongoing investment in Federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs, and the 

jobs that those investments create. 

In hearings, Senator VOINOVICH has frequently highlighted 

the importance of investing in infrastructure at all levels of 

government and often called on his colleagues to support 

passage of a new long-term surface transportation authorization at increased funding levels. 

He and his staff have contributed to the efforts of our committee to draft a new surface transportation authorization. 

Senator VOINOVICH’s passion for these issues was influential 

among his colleagues on the Environment and Public Works 

Committee, and will help guide us as we move forward on 

new transportation legislation. 

During his service on the Environment and Public Works 

Committee, Senator VOINOVICH has also been an advocate 

for investing in America’s water resources and protecting 

water quality. I was also pleased to join him as a cosponsor 

of the Clean Coastal Health and Public Health Act, which 

helps to ensure our Nation’s beaches are safe for swimming 

and recreation. 

I am also grateful for his partnership in supporting investment in America’s ports, which are important economic drivers in both Ohio and California, and are vital to the national 

economy. 

Senator VOINOVICH’s service on the Environment and Public Works Committee will have a lasting impact both in the 

State of Ohio, and across the Nation. I want to extend my 

best wishes to Senator VOINOVICH and his family in his retirement, and express my gratitude for his many years of 

hard work and dedication to public service. 

[ 13 ] 

WEDNESDAY, December 15, 2010 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wish to say a brief word about 

GEORGE VOINOVICH. I have watched him for many years. He 

has an outstanding record. He is a Senator from the State 

of Ohio who came to Washington with as many credentials 

as anyone could have: a member of the State legislature, the 

Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio, mayor of the city 

of Cleveland, and now a U.S. Senator. He has a wonderful 

family. 

The thing GEORGE VOINOVICH brought to Washington a lot 

of people don’t recognize because of his quiet manner is his 

work ethic. He gets up very early every morning and works 

on what is necessary in the Senate. He studies the bills. He 

is aware of the issues that are before the Senate on any 

given occasion. Nothing gets past him. He always is up to 

date on everything we are doing. 

I haven’t agreed with Senator VOINOVICH on lots of different issues, but he has a quality that we all need to have: 

You never have to guess where he stands on an issue. He 

will always tell you how he feels. That has been a tremendous help to me. There have been occasions when his vote 

has been so very important for, I believe, the Senate, the 

State of Ohio, and certainly the country. He always tells you 

how he feels, what he is going to do, and once he makes up 

his mind, that is what he is going to do. I admire him very 

much. 

I have had such good feelings about people coming from 

Ohio. I had the good fortune to serve here with John Glenn, 

a man we all know, one of America’s all-time great leaders. 

Ohio produces very good people, at least from my experience 

in the Senate—Senator Metzenbaum, and now Sherrod 

Brown with us. I will not run through a list of everyone. 

I certainly want the Record to reflect, prior to Senator 

VOINOVICH’s final speech today, how much I respect him as 

a legislator and as a person. I appreciate his friendship and 

hope in the years to come we can still work together on 

issues for the country. 

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, as Ohio’s junior Senator, I wish to add my remarks, as well as I am able, to the 

comments of Senator VOINOVICH (see farewell address, page 

vii). He didn’t talk much about himself and his career, and 

I will do that for a moment. 

In his almost 50 years of public service, he always has 

been his own man, whether as a State legislator, county 

[ 14 ] 

auditor, a county commissioner of Cuyahoga County, Lieutenant Governor, mayor of Cleveland, Governor of Ohio, and 

now his 12 years in the Senate. He has always been his own 

man. He was rewarded in some sense when, as a 1958 graduate of Ohio University, the school created the Voinovich 

School of Leadership in Public Affairs. It is not often that a 

State university or any public entity names something after 

someone still in office, particularly something as prestigious 

as the Voinovich School of Leadership. I have visited it many 

times. There are always stimulating discussions that are uplifting to the public discourse. I thank Senator VOINOVICH for 

that. 

No matter how high GEORGE VOINOVICH rose, he always 

lived with his wife Janet and his children and grandchildren 

nearby in Collinwood, OH, in the same house, the same 

neighborhood in Cleveland, never forgetting where he came 

from. That tells me a lot about him as a public official. 

He likes to say, reflecting on our State’s tremendous potential, ‘‘the rust is off the belt,’’ as people used to refer to 

Cleveland as the Rust Belt but now see it as so much more. 

It is going to be the first place in the Nation with a field of 

wind turbines on the fresh water of Lake Erie. Clearly, this 

city has turned around. This is, in some significant measure, 

due to the efforts of Mayor and Governor and Senator 

GEORGE VOINOVICH. 

There are four things I particularly think of when I think 

of GEORGE VOINOVICH. First is Janet. Janet often travels 

back and forth with GEORGE, and I see both of them on our 

flight from Cleveland to Washington. Janet has always been 

at his side, whether as First Lady or as his loving life’s partner. The relationship they have is inspiring to Connie and 

me and many others. We thank you most importantly for 

that, GEORGE. 

Second, when I think about the career of GEORGE

VOINOVICH, I think of what he brought to this body—the perspective of an executive, of a Governor and a mayor. That is 

something many of us look to—Governor Shaheen, now Senator Shaheen, and soon-to-be Governor Brownback. It helps 

in our deliberations that someone has had the experience as 

a big city mayor in challenging times, and Governor of Ohio 

and, perhaps a less challenging time but a challenging time 

nonetheless, from the perspective that GEORGE VOINOVICH

has brought as a chief executive coming to the Senate, sharing those thoughts and ideas with legislators. 

[ 15 ] 

Third is Lake Erie. If you live in northern Ohio or in the 

right places in Wisconsin and Minnesota and Michigan and 

Indiana and Illinois and New York and Pennsylvania, you 

think about the Great Lake you live near. In northern Ohio 

there is an old story. I grew up about 75 miles from the lake, 

and GEORGE grew up much closer. There is something about 

people who have grown up within 10 miles of Lake Erie. You 

can ask them wherever they are, which way is north, and 

they always seem to know. 

From what he has done with Asian carp and his belief in 

the importance of our greatest national resource, the five 

Great Lakes, his commitment is always to maintaining the 

pristine quality of that lake in terms of recreation, in terms 

of drinking water, in terms of industry, in terms of all the 

things that the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie, do for 

Cleveland and everything in between. GEORGE VOINOVICH

gets much credit for that. 

Fourth, GEORGE VOINOVICH is always elevating the discussion about the quality of the Federal workforce. The term 

‘‘public servant,’’ unfortunately, doesn’t mean in the public’s 

mind what it used to; partly deserved, perhaps, because of 

some people’s missteps or worse, but mostly because people 

run campaigns against the government, whatever the reasons there. The term ‘‘public servant’’ is so important to 

GEORGE VOINOVICH, and he has done more than just mouth 

the words and compliment workers, which he has done often 

and deservedly. I applaud him for that. He has played a 

major role in shining the light on how we improve our Federal workforce. How do we give them opportunities for advancement, how do we do training, attract the right people 

to public service. I still think we have a terrific public workforce. Whether it is at the city, county, State, or Federal 

level, it is of high quality. And, in the great majority of 

cases, that is because of a few—and I say a very few—public 

servants such as GEORGE VOINOVICH who have kept the public spotlight on government service. I know Ralph Regula, 

the Congressman from Canton who retired in 2008, has 

shared a lot of those thoughts and ideas and continues to in 

his retirement with Senator VOINOVICH. 

Whether it is his work on Lake Erie or his contributions 

here, he has certainly made the Senate of the United States 

a better place. He has made the United States of America a 

better country. I thank him for that, as my senior Senator. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Kansas. 

[ 16 ] 

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to 

my colleague. What a great gentleman. This is an august 

body, a wonderful place, a delightful place to serve. It has 

great issues before it. There are people who are gentlemen 

and gentleladies in it who conduct themselves in one of the 

highest regards and highest abilities. And when I think of 

that, I think of GEORGE VOINOVICH. He is a really good guy, 

a real gentleman in the Senate, and a man who lives his 

faith, believes it, which is tough to do in this body. It is 

tough to do in any position in life. Yet he does it and has 

done it for over four decades in public service to the people 

in the State of Ohio and the people of the United States. 

That is quite a tribute. 

He and his wife I get to see often. When I think of the expression ‘‘two people becoming one,’’ I don’t know if I could 

describe it any better than the Voinoviches, how two become 

one. 

The smile is the same. The look is the same. The attitude 

is just a wonderful togetherness that the two of them live. 

At a time when marriages have a lot of difficulties, it is 

great to see an example of somebody in high office who has 

lived in public life for over four decades and then has this 

oneness in their marital relationship. I think they both have 

served in that capacity, whether it is for their family or for 

the people of Ohio or the United States. 

Living publicly the right way and living privately the right 

way are both beautiful attributes and difficult things to be 

able to get done, and it is great to be able to see it happen. 

For that, I give great tribute to a wonderful American, 

GEORGE VOINOVICH. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware. 

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, thank you very much. 

Mr. President, GEORGE VOINOVICH and I served as Governors together for 6 years. He chaired the National Governors Association, and he was good enough to let me be his 

vice chairman. I got here and, lo and behold—in fact, for a 

while he chaired a national dropout prevention program 

called Jobs for America’s Graduates. I was his vice chairman. 

He chaired a subcommittee on the Environment and Public 

Works Committee, the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, and I got to be his vice chairman. So I am used 

to being his second banana. But I love the guy, and I have 

learned an enormous amount from him. 

[ 17 ] 

He is one of those people who really, every day, tries to 

say: What is the right thing to do—not the easy thing to do, 

not the expedient thing to do, but what is the right thing to 

do? He is the kind of person where we go to the Bible study 

group that meets about every Thursday with the Chaplain 

and some of our colleagues, and we are always reminded by 

Barry Black that the Golden Rule is treat other people the 

way we want to be treated. It is the CliffsNotes of the New 

Testament, and GEORGE really personifies that. He treats everybody the way he would want to be treated. 

He is a person who focuses on excellence in everything he 

has done—as mayor, as Governor, and here in the U.S. Senate—and he is always looking for ways to do better what he 

does and calls on the rest of us to do the same. 

Finally, this guy is tenacious. He does not give up. If he 

thinks he is right and he knows he is right, just get out of 

the way, and you know he is going to prevail. 

He has wonderful folks on his staff who are here with him 

today, and we salute all of you. He knows how to pick good 

people and turn them loose and really to inspire them and 

us. 

I do not think Janet is here today. Maybe she is watching 

on television. I hope so. But to her and their family, thanks 

very, very much for sharing with us an extraordinary human 

being. 

We love you, GEORGE. 

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. DODD. I rise today to honor Senator GEORGE

VOINOVICH, my colleague from Ohio who has served with me 

in this body for 12 years. Senator VOINOVICH has had a distinguished career in Ohio politics, spanning every level of 

government. His work as a public servant began when he 

was a bright young assistant attorney general, and has 

taken him through the Ohio House of Representatives, the 

[ 18 ] 

mayor’s office in Cleveland, the Ohio Governor’s Mansion 

and the U.S. Senate. 

Not only will Senator VOINOVICH be remembered for the 

more than four decades of service to his fellow Ohioans but 

also for his bipartisanship. He was never afraid to put his 

beliefs ahead of party, opposing President Bush’s $750 million tax cut proposal in 2003, for example. 

I was especially proud to work with Senator VOINOVICH on 

legislation to help ensure the United States’ continued dominance in the world aeronautics industry. Our bill, the Aeronautics Competitiveness Act of 2007, increased research 

funding, technology transfer, and workforce development, all 

of which are vital to maintaining the United States’ competitive edge. I was also proud to have served on the Foreign Relations Committee with him for 5 years, working to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO. 

Senator VOINOVICH was known as the resident Senate 

‘‘debt hawk’’ and has long stood for fiscal responsibility at 

the local, State, and Federal levels. 

It has been a pleasure to serve with Senator VOINOVICH. 

As we depart the Senate, I know this body will miss the 

presence of one of its more esteemed Members, and the people of Ohio will miss one of their most dedicated servants. 

I wish him and his wife Janet many more years of happiness. 

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell to 

a number of our friends and colleagues who are ending their 

service in the Senate. Their contributions are too numerous 

to mention, therefore I would like to take just a few minutes 

to highlight some of the memories of the Senators I came to 

know personally. 

Some of the departing Senators I have served with for decades. Others were here for only part of a term. All of them 

worked hard for their constituents and our country. . . . 

I would like to pay tribute to my dear friend and brother, 

Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH, as he prepares to retire from 

public life after more than 40 years of dedicated public service. 

Senator VOINOVICH’s retirement is a sad occasion for me, 

and it is difficult to put into words what Senator 

VOINOVICH’s friendship has meant to me over the years. Senator VOINOVICH and I have worked so well together on the 

Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, 

for many years, where we have both had the honor of serving 

[ 19 ] 

as chairman. It has truly been a pleasure to serve with him 

as we have addressed so many difficult government management issues. 

Senator VOINOVICH’s background as the Governor of Ohio 

and the mayor of the city of Cleveland provided him with a 

unique perspective on the Federal Government’s management and workforce challenges, and I believe his vast experience made our subcommittee more effective. On a light note, 

I know that one of Senator VOINOVICH’s proudest moments 

as Governor was watching his beloved Cleveland baseball 

team reach the World Series for the first time in over 40 

years. I am sure that Senator VOINOVICH will enjoy having 

more time to spend in his hometown of Cleveland during his 

retirement. 

Senator VOINOVICH can take his grandchildren to see 

parks, buildings, and other improvements he helped bring 

about in Ohio during his time as mayor and Governor, but 

there are few similar opportunities in Federal Government 

oversight and management. The tough management issues 

we have tackled seldom make front page news. But that is 

what makes Senator VOINOVICH remarkable. He chose to 

focus on the details of the government’s toughest management challenges rather than more glamorous issues. 

Like me, Senator VOINOVICH has always recognized that 

the Federal Government’s most valuable resource is its 

workforce of dedicated men and women. I often refer to him 

as the ‘‘father of human capital.’’ We have worked closely together on a large number of workforce initiatives, with the 

common goal of making the Federal Government the employer of choice in this country. I am especially proud of our 

work to reform the broken Federal hiring process. I will keep 

fighting in Congress for our bill—the Federal Hiring Process 

Improvement Act, S. 736. In the meantime, I am pleased 

that our joint oversight on this issue has spurred considerable progress in the executive branch. 

Senator VOINOVICH and I also worked together on an 

amendment to last year’s National Defense Authorization 

Act, which included my Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity 

Assurance Act, along with several other Federal workforce 

provisions. I cannot overstate how much Senator 

VOINOVICH’s support for providing retirement equity has 

meant to the thousands of Federal employees in my home 

State of Hawaii. 

Senator VOINOVICH simply has too many Federal workforce accomplishments to discuss all of them today. However, 

[ 20 ] 

I would like to point out that he authored the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act to modernize Federal human capital 

planning, pay, and benefits; the Federal Employee Student 

Loan Assistance Act; the Senior Executive Service Performance Improvement Act; and many other important bills that 

have improved the government’s ability to provide services. 

In addition to his focus on important workforce issues, 

Senator VOINOVICH has worked tirelessly on complicated 

management challenges. Our subcommittee has held a total 

of seven hearings on reforming the security clearance process. This work has been a tremendous success, eliminating 

the clearance backlog, dramatically reducing processing 

times, and improving investigation quality. These improvements enhance our national security and help the Federal 

Government hire the right people for the right jobs. 

I am also proud of our work together in establishing chief 

management officers at the Department of Defense and the 

Department of Homeland Security. It is vital that we maintain strong focus on management at these critical departments. I could easily point to so many other things that Senator VOINOVICH has accomplished during his Senate service. 

I want to express my deep appreciation to Senator 

VOINOVICH for his friendship and partnership over the years. 

He has been a model public servant, and our country is a 

better and safer place because of his work. I wish Senator 

VOINOVICH, his lovely wife Janet, and his entire family joy 

and happiness during his richly deserved retirement. 

In closing, the end of this Congress is bittersweet, with so 

many talented and dedicated public servants leaving this institution. All of them made a lasting impact on the Senate 

and on our country. Mahalo nui loa, thank you, for all your 

work. 

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize our retiring colleague from Ohio, Senator 

GEORGE VOINOVICH. 

GEORGE VOINOVICH has led a remarkable life of public 

service, stretching across all levels of government. Beginning 

in 1963, Senator VOINOVICH has made the people of Ohio his 

priority, serving as an assistant attorney general in Ohio, a 

member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Cuyahoga 

County commissioner, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, mayor 

of Cleveland, Governor of Ohio, and finally, U.S. Senator. 

Throughout his career, Senator VOINOVICH has been a 

steady hand, guiding Ohio through difficult times. As mayor, 

he led the city of Cleveland out of bankruptcy and misVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:09 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064817 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64817.TXT KAYNE
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management through smart budgeting and pragmatic governing. As Governor, he led Ohio out of a recession and into 

more prosperous times, holding the State budget’s growth to 

its lowest level in 30 years and overseeing the State’s lowest 

unemployment rate in 25 years. 

As Senator, he continued his commitment to fiscal responsibility, focusing on this country’s exploding debt and longterm challenges. Senator VOINOVICH also fought for reform of 

our tax and entitlement systems as author of the SAFE 

Commission Act and cosponsor of the Conrad-Gregg Bipartisan Task Force for Fiscal Responsibility Act. Warning 

about our Nation’s fiscal crisis at a Budget Committee hearing in 2009, he testified courageously: 

We must find a compromise and we must act now. Many people believe 

that this generation of Americans will be the first whose standard of living 

will be less than those before them. Our failure to act now will guarantee 

that they are right. 

With Senator VOINOVICH’s retirement, the Senate is losing 

one of its strongest and clearest voices on the importance of 

fiscal responsibility today to keep our country strong and 

growing into the future. 

I was also pleased to join with Senator VOINOVICH in introducing the Truth in Budgeting Act. Our bill would have put 

a stop to the fiscally reckless practice of using trust fund 

surpluses to pay for tax cuts and other spending priorities. 

Senator VOINOVICH always recognized that our current fiscal 

policies are putting future generations in the position of having to borrow trillions of dollars to make good on our Social 

Security, Medicare, and other commitments. 

I have always respected his commitment to principle and 

his willingness to take independent positions, regardless of 

popularity or political expedience. He has rejected the kneejerk partisan politics that unfortunately have taken hold of 

Washington over the past decade, opting instead for reasonable, levelheaded discourse. Always willing to reach across 

the aisle, Senator VOINOVICH has spent his 12 years in the 

Senate being an honest broker and a true public servant. He 

will be greatly missed. 

I wish a happy and healthy retirement to GEORGE and his 

wife of 48 years, Janet, and congratulate him on an outstanding career. 

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in appreciation and admiration of Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH. 

Senator VOINOVICH represents the great State of Ohio— 

and in some sense he has never left. He was born and raised 

[ 22 ] 

in Cleveland, earned a bachelor of arts degree in government 

from Ohio University, and received a law degree from the 

Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University. After 

more than four decades of public service, he and Janet still 

live in Cleveland with their family. 

Before coming to Washington, Senator VOINOVICH established a long record of service to the people of the Buckeye 

State: as a member of the State legislature, a Cuyahoga 

County commissioner, the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, 

mayor of Cleveland and Governor of Ohio. As mayor of 

Cleveland, he helped turn around the local economy after the 

city declared bankruptcy in the 1970s. As Governor, GEORGE

spearheaded economic recovery efforts after Ohio fell into a 

recession during the early 1990s. He helped reduce Ohio’s 

unemployment rate to a 25-year low and maintained the lowest budgetary growth levels in 30 years. Along the way, he 

became the only person to hold the highest leadership positions in both the National Governors Association and the National League of Cities. 

The people of Ohio sent GEORGE to Washington to serve in 

the U.S. Senate in 1998 and then reelected him 6 years ago 

in a landslide victory. Senator VOINOVICH’s policy accomplishments reflect his dedication to maintaining fiscal responsibility, enhancing national security, increasing America’s global competitiveness, and improving the Federal Government’s efficiency. His Mortgage Relief Act of 2007 was the 

first piece of legislation to be signed into law that aimed to 

lessen the impact of America’s foreclosure crisis. 

Senator VOINOVICH has also been a strong voice for America’s interests and values all over the world. He has been a 

strong proponent of NATO expansion, U.N. reform, and U.S. 

public diplomacy efforts. He has also spoken out strongly 

against global anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance. 

Sandy and I wish all the best to GEORGE and Janet, as 

well as their three children and eight grandchildren. And we 

thank GEORGE for his many years of service in the U.S. Senate. 

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, when GEORGE VOINOVICH

came to the Senate in 1998, he brought with him a wealth 

of experience as a State legislator, county commissioner, 

mayor, and Governor. More important, he brought an independent mind, common sense, and a commitment to results. 

Through more than four decades of public service, he has 

always been guided by the principle that a fundamental obliVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:09 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064817 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64817.TXT KAYNE
[ 23 ] 

gation of government is to honor its responsibilities to citizens. His goal has always been to ensure that those in public 

office ‘‘work harder and smarter, and do more with less.’’ 

But Senator VOINOVICH is revered here and at home for 

deeds, not words. As mayor, he brought Cleveland back from 

bankruptcy and led its transformation into a three-time AllAmerica City. As Governor, he steered Ohio through the recession of the early 1990s, turned a State budget in the red 

back to black, and helped rebuild Ohio’s industry and infrastructure for the 21st century. 

From his executive background in local and State government, Senator VOINOVICH knew that any government is only 

as good as the people working for it. He has been a strong 

advocate for improved government management, and for recruiting, retaining, rewarding, and recognizing the best government workforce. 

It has been my privilege to work closely with Senator 

VOINOVICH on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He is devoted to protecting our Nation and 

our people. 

Our committee’s work was aided greatly by his leadership 

of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, and his conviction that government works only when 

it ensures that the right people have the right resources to 

get the job done. He has been instrumental in virtually every 

major civil service issue for more than a decade and has 

championed 17 pieces of legislation to transform and improve 

our Federal workforce. 

Since coming to Washington, the ‘‘Workforce Senator’’ has 

been a watchdog for the interests of the taxpayers and of 

government employees. Early in his service, the Senior Executive Service Performance Improvement Act and the Chief 

Human Capital Officers Act recognized that the Federal Government must compete if it is to attract the best. In this 

Congress, the Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act addressed the need to streamline recruiting so that the right 

person can be hired at the right time. 

And his efforts have been successful. A recent Federal employee survey on the best places to work found that the top 

three agencies—the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, GAO, 

and NASA—are the agencies with the personnel flexibilities 

Senator VOINOVICH worked to achieve. 

I know how deeply GEORGE VOINOVICH cares about the 

men and women who serve as Federal employees because on 

many issues we have fought together. In particular, I want 

[ 24 ] 

to recognize his role in pressing for pay for performance reforms in our Federal workforce. If we want an effective government, we must encourage excellence in our workforce, as 

Senator VOINOVICH clearly understands. 

He has been an effective voice for fiscal discipline, for comprehensive tax and entitlement reform, and for enhancing 

America’s competitiveness in a global economy. All of these 

issues and so many more demonstrate his commitment to 

honoring responsibilities and achieving results. 

When Senator VOINOVICH announced early last year that 

he would not seek reelection, the outpouring of tributes was 

heartfelt and bipartisan. As one Ohio newspaper wrote, 

‘‘Once he latches onto an issue, he doesn’t let go until he is 

satisfied with the outcome.’’ 

Senator VOINOVICH’s determination, combined with wisdom, experience, and decency, made him an outstanding U.S. 

Senator and public servant. I thank GEORGE VOINOVICH for 

his years of service and for his friendship, and wish him and 

Janet all the best in the years to come. 

FRIDAY, December 17, 2010 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, at the end of each session of 

Congress, as is our tradition, we take a moment to say goodbye and express our appreciation to those Members who will 

be returning home at the end of the year. I know we will 

miss them and the contributions they have made over the 

years to the debates and deliberations they have participated 

in on the Senate floor and in committee. One retiring Member I know I will especially miss is GEORGE VOINOVICH. 

If ever it could be said of someone that they have never 

lost touch with their roots, it would be said of GEORGE. 

GEORGE was raised on Cleveland’s East Side, and he still 

lives there. His dad was an architect, and his mother was a 

schoolteacher. For his own part, until he was in his teens, 

GEORGE was determined to be a doctor. As he grew up, he 

found that he didn’t get along very well with science, so right 

about then his direction and his focus changed. Fortunately 

for Cleveland and all of Ohio, GEORGE then decided that 

someday he would run for mayor and for Governor, which 

put him on the path that brought him years later to the U.S. 

Senate. 

Those were big dreams for someone who up until then had 

only his success as high school class president to show on his 

[ 25 ] 

political resume ́. That was also the time when his fellow 

classmates voted him most likely to succeed. It must have 

served as his inspiration because he proved them right. Over 

the years GEORGE proved to be a success at just about everything he set his mind to. That helped him to accomplish just 

about all that he had predicted and much, much more. 

As any observer knows, one of the constant themes that 

runs through GEORGE’s political career has been his determination to be a good steward of the resources we have been 

blessed to receive. It unsettles him to see waste of any kind, 

especially when it comes to our budget and the funds taxpayers all across the country send to Washington to run our 

government. 

At each post he has served—mayor, Governor, and now, in 

the Senate—people have looked to him for his leadership and 

his willingness to make the tough choices that must be made 

if we are to provide our children with a fair chance to live 

their own version of the American dream. GEORGE has 

warned us more than once that if we continue to spend so 

much of our children’s future resources, we will leave them 

with a huge debt and an economy so weak and sluggish as 

to offer them little hope of ever freeing themselves from it. 

We ought to listen to him and take his advice—for our sake 

and theirs. 

GEORGE has been a remarkable public servant, and he has 

served at many different levels of government throughout his 

career. I know he would be the first to say he wouldn’t have 

been able to do all that without the person he calls the greatest blessing he has received in life by his side. That person 

is his wife Janet, who has been his greatest source of support and guidance for 48 years. Together they have made a 

difference wherever they have been. 

In the years to come, I will always remember and admire 

all you did as Governor of Ohio with such a perfect First 

Lady by your side. I have a hunch you were such a great 

vote getter because you had an advantage—a lot of people 

voted for you because they were also voting for her. 

Looking back, we both served as mayors in our home 

States. When we did we had to find a way to pay for everything. That is why I always had an appreciation for the way 

you examined every detail of each issue through the lens of 

your background and how the people back home would feel 

about it. 

Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you both and our 

thanks and appreciation for all you have done for Ohio and 

[ 26 ] 

the Nation during your many years of public service. Good 

luck in all your future endeavors. Keep in touch. You’ll be 

missed. It just won’t be the same around here without you. 

MONDAY, December 20, 2010 

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my 

friend and colleague, Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH. Over the 

past 12 years I have had the opportunity to work with Senator VOINOVICH on many issues that impact our adjoining 

States and this Nation. While working with Senator 

VOINOVICH, I gained respect for his firm commitment to his 

principles. 

Prior to our time together in the Senate, I only knew of 

Senator VOINOVICH through his reputation as mayor of 

Cleveland and Governor of Ohio. In these positions, he cut 

spending, fought corruption, and created jobs. These experiences taught Senator VOINOVICH how to make tough decisions, and he never lost that quality here in the Senate. 

Senator VOINOVICH also never forgot his roots. As a child 

of Yugoslavian parents, the Senator never lost interest in the 

Balkans, and through his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he made sure that this region was not forgotten by the U.S. Government. I also worked closely with 

him on Department of Energy issues because Ohio and Kentucky have neighboring DOE uranium sites. 

Although Senator VOINOVICH accomplished many things in 

his life, his greatest achievement has been as a father and 

husband. GEORGE and his wife Janet have been married for 

over 47 years. I wish him nothing but the best as he embarks on a new chapter in his life. 

WEDNESDAY, December 22, 2010 

Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to join in paying 

tribute to my longtime good friend and colleague, Senator 

GEORGE VOINOVICH of Ohio. In the U.S. Constitution, our 

Founding Fathers made it clear that there is no one clear 

path, background, or station in life that leads to serving in 

the U.S. Senate. There is an age requirement and a residency stipulation and no more. That said, if ever there were 

a job description for being a Senator, it occurs to me that a 

[ 27 ] 

model example we should consider is that of Senator GEORGE

VOINOVICH. 

Senator VOINOVICH’s depth and breadth of wisdom, knowledge, and experience about making government work at all 

levels which he has harnessed throughout his sterling, four 

decade trajectory in public life recall what James Madison 

wrote in The Federalist, No. 62, in advocating for a higher 

age requirement for Senators than Members of the House. 

Madison postulated that the deliberative disposition of the 

Senate required a ‘‘greater extent of information and stability of character.’’ I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to 

say that James Madison must have had a Senator like 

GEORGE VOINOVICH in mind when making this case. 

Before Senator VOINOVICH even stepped onto the floor of 

the U.S. Senate he had already been Governor of Ohio, 

mayor of Cleveland, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, county 

commissioner, auditor, and a member of the Ohio House of 

Representatives. With a wealth of insights to draw upon 

through many years of public service, GEORGE has always 

been a force with whom to be reckoned, someone whose viewpoint and counsel are sought, and whose example is worthy 

of being emulated many times over. 

My husband Jock, former Governor of Maine, and I first 

got to know Senator VOINOVICH and his wonderful wife of 

nearly 50 years, Janet, in the 1990s when Jock and GEORGE

were both serving as Governors of their respective States 

and active in the National Governors Association. In Ohio’s 

State capital of Columbus, GEORGE was building on his enormous success as mayor of Cleveland where he inherited a 

stagnant economy, rejuvenated it through fiscal discipline 

and acumen and public-private partnerships, and forged a 

three-time All-America City winner in the 1980s. 

GEORGE made similar, remarkable strides as Governor, 

where, under his watch, unemployment hit a 25-year low 

and 600,000 new jobs were created. Many accolades were bestowed upon GEORGE for his accomplishments at the State 

level, and they were all well-earned to say the least. In fact, 

he is still the only individual to serve as both chairman of 

the National Governors Association and president of the National League of Cities. 

There are many laudatory characterizations of Senator 

VOINOVICH that have already been expressed by my colleagues, and there are certainly some that come to mind, especially as a highly regarded U.S. Senator—thoughtful, independent, principled, rigorous, courageous, and pragmatic. 

[ 28 ] 

With GEORGE, you always knew where he stood on an issue 

and frankly where you stood with him. In an institution 

whose very foundation is built upon trust and forging relationships, GEORGE was someone you could count on time and 

time again. 

To say that Senator VOINOVICH was a workhorse in this 

Chamber from day one is an understatement to be sure. His 

word is as good as gold—and as they say, you can take it to 

the bank. If he shook your hand on a deal, that was all that 

was required. The fact is, they don’t make enough legislators 

or public servants like Senator VOINOVICH anymore. Like the 

Ohio State flag, the only one in the United States not shaped 

like a rectangle, GEORGE has been and will always be, one 

of a kind. 

I can tell this Chamber from firsthand experience, there 

was no one you would rather be in the trenches with in the 

Senate, especially when the stakes were high, than GEORGE. 

I will never forget—and I know GEORGE won’t either—how 

we stood side by side as stewards of fiscal accountability during the tax cut debate in 2003. We were certain that reducing taxes and hewing to our budget concerns did not have to 

be mutually exclusive—that we could champion billions in 

tax cuts without jeopardizing our Nation’s fiscal future by 

proposing offsets. 

The fact is, once Senator VOINOVICH determined to chart 

a particular course, he was not easily dissuaded—and rightfully earned a reputation for being tireless and relentless in 

his pursuits. His moral fiber, character, and integrity can be 

traced back to being the grandson of Serbian and Slovenian 

immigrants who crossed the Atlantic from Croatia at the 

turn of the century. As a proud Greek-American whose parents emigrated from Greece, I see in GEORGE the same stalwart work ethic so prevalent in my own roots and culture 

growing up in Maine. 

Senator VOINOVICH once said that ‘‘doing a good job at 

running your government is the best politics,’’ and that ‘‘people just want you to get the job done.’’ For him, these weren’t 

platitudes worthy of a government class, they have been 

truly organizing tenets that have shaped a distinguished 40- 

year tenure of serving the common good for Ohioans and the 

Nation. 

In the Senate, when others refused to reach across the 

aisle, Senator VOINOVICH understood that doing so made the 

system work, especially for those who elected us in the first 

place—the American people. When political scorekeeping and 

[ 29 ] 

posturing have ruled the day, Senator VOINOVICH has managed to transcend the short-term efforts to jockey for position 

in favor of immersing himself in the substance of the policy 

with the intention of championing it or opposing it based on 

the facts, not political sway or the temper of the times. The 

legacy of GEORGE’s clear voice of reason and brave vision in 

this body will extend into the next Congress and for Congresses to come. My only regret is that the Senate could use 

more GEORGE VOINOVICHes, not fewer. 

For all of his dedicated public service to his Buckeye State 

and this great land, undoubtedly, GEORGE will tell you that 

his greatest achievement is his marriage of 48 years to his 

beloved wife Janet, their three children, and eight grandchildren. I wish them all the best. 

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. . . . 

GEORGE VOINOVICH came to the Senate after a distinguished career that included service as Governor of the State 

of Ohio and mayor of the city of Cleveland. He has made a 

substantial contribution to the efficient operation of our 

Federal Government as a leader of the Homeland Security 

and Governmental Affairs Committee. I appreciate his support of the effort that Senator Akaka and I advanced, along 

with others, to make locality pay available to Federal employees in Alaska and Hawaii through the Non-Foreign Act 

of 2009. . . . 

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. 

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