TRIBUTES TO HON. LARRY E. CRAIG 

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Larry E. Craig 

U.S. SENATOR FROM IDAHO 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


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Larry E. Craig 


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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2010

S. DOC. 110–21 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Larry E. Craig 

United States Congressman 

1981–1991 

United States Senator 

1991–2009 

÷ 

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Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

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CONTENTS 

Page 

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

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 10 

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

Allard, Wayne, of Colorado ........................................................ 13, 18 

Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico ................................................ 9 

Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky ....................................................... 8 

Corker, Bob, of Tennessee ......................................................... 13 

Craig, Larry E., of Idaho ........................................................... 15, 18 

Crapo, Mike, of Idaho ................................................................ 14, 17 

Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico ............................................ 5 

Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota .......................................... 26 

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

Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin ............................................ 8 

Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska ........................................................ 19 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 11 

Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas ............................................... 12 

Inouye, Daniel K., of Hawaii ..................................................... 23 

Kyl, Jon, of Arizona ................................................................... 22 

Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana ............................................... 12 

Levin, Carl, of Michigan ............................................................ 19 

Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut ....................................... 13 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 20 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 13 

Salazar, Ken, of Colorado .......................................................... 5 

Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania ................................................ 24 

Warner, John, of Virginia .......................................................... 22 

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BIOGRAPHY 

Senator CRAIG was born on the family ranch near Midvale, 

ID, which was homesteaded in 1899 by his grandfather. He 

later served as the Idaho State president and national vice 

president of the Future Farmers of America. 

After graduating from the University of Idaho where he 

served as student body president and was a member of the 

Delta Chi fraternity, he pursued graduate studies before returning to the family ranching business in 1971. 

In 1974, the people of Payette and Washington Counties 

sent Senator CRAIG to the Idaho State Senate, where he 

served three terms before winning the 1980 race for Idaho’s 

First District congressional seat. He was reelected four times 

before winning the U.S. Senate election in 1990 and was reelected to the Senate in 1996 and 2002. 

Senator CRAIG served as chairman of the steering committee, a legislative think tank and action group for Senate 

conservatives. He was the youngest Senator ever elected to 

that position. 

Senator CRAIG quickly rose to the fourth highest Senate 

leadership position in his first term, when his colleagues 

elected him chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. 

He was reelected to that position in the 106th and 107th 

Congresses. The committee is responsible for developing policy positions for Senate Republicans. 

A forceful advocate for commonsense, conservative solutions to our Nation’s problems, Senator CRAIG emerged as a 

leader in the battle for the balanced budget amendment to 

the Constitution, limited taxation, private property rights, 

and greater accountability in government. He has been recognized by national groups including Citizens for a Sound 

Economy, Citizens Against Government Waste, Watchdogs of 

the Treasury, and the National Taxpayers Union Foundation 

for his votes to cut spending and protect the taxpayer. 

Senator CRAIG was a member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, which he chaired during the 109th Congress. 

He was also a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where he served on the Subcommittee on EnVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:42 Aug 24, 2010 Jkt 047103 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE08\CRAIG.BST CRS2 PsN: SKAYNE
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ergy, the Subcommittee on Water and Power, and the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. 

With his appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator CRAIG oversaw funding on the following subcommittees: Agriculture; Energy and Water Development; 

Homeland Security; Labor, HHS, and Education; Military 

Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Interior and the Environment. He was also a member of the Special Committee 

on Aging, which he chaired during the 107th and 108th Congresses, and the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, where he served on the Public Sector Solutions to 

Global Warming, Oversight, and Children’s Health Protection Subcommittee and the Superfund and Environmental 

Health Subcommittee. 

In addition to his committee memberships, Senator CRAIG

sat on a number of caucuses that worked for issues important to Idaho, including Air Force, National Guard, Nuclear, 

Rural Health, Diabetes, Congressional Sportsmen’s, Congressional Potato, WTO for Farmers and Ranchers, Senate 

Sweetener, Idaho Safe Kids Coalition (honorary co-chair), the 

Western States Senate Coalition, and Education Advisory 

Committee to the National Youth Leadership Conference. He 

is a former co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and helped to found and lead the CCAI, an institute working on adoption issues. 

The Idaho lawmaker was also on the board of directors of 

the National Rifle Association, the Alliance to Save Energy 

and the Keystone Center, and he co-founded and co-chaired 

the Congressional Property Rights Coalition. 

As a westerner and a former rancher, Senator CRAIG

played a leading role in the formation of natural resource 

and energy policies, and he has gained a national reputation 

as a stalwart against environmental extremism. He is also 

one of America’s foremost defenders of the second amendment right to keep and bear arms. 

He is married to the former Suzanne Thompson. They 

have three children: two sons, Mike and Jay, a daughter, 

Shae, and seven beautiful grandchildren. 

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TRIBUTES 

TO 

LARRY E. CRAIG 

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Proceedings in the Senate 

WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2008 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, Senator PETE DOMENICI, 

who is retiring from the Senate this year after serving since 

1972, once said to me that we don’t say goodbye in the Senate very well. As a matter of fact, we don’t say hello very 

well either. We have a little orientation program, but we 

abruptly arrive and leave. We leave in the midst of a lot of 

turmoil and discussion with very little time to say goodbye. 

Yet in between that arrival and leaving, we have very intense personal relationships. We virtually live with each 

other. We see each other often for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We see each other more than we see our families. So 

when there is a time for saying goodbye, we look for ways 

to say it a little better. 

There are five Members of our body, all of them Republicans, who have announced their retirement for this year. 

While I won’t be speaking at length about them here today, 

I want to recognize their service. I will do it in the traditional way in the Senate, which is to start with seniority. By 

‘‘seniority,’’ I mean from the time I have known them. . . . 

Senator LARRY CRAIG has been in the Congress for a number of years. He served three terms in the Senate. I believe 

Senator CRAIG’s great contribution is in the area of energy. 

He and Senator DOMENICI have been a team in advocating 

for nuclear power. They have been leaders in the Senate in 

understanding energy and its details, particularly over the 

last few years as issues of energy and the environment have 

become the most fascinating and important issues we have 

to deal with in many respects. Senator CRAIG has made a 

great contribution. 

I especially appreciate his courtesies. When I was just 

elected to the Senate, I had worked here before as a staff 

member many years ago, but I didn’t understand what it 

was like to be a Member. Senator CRAIG took a long hour 

with me on the telephone just explaining to me about committee assignments. I have always been grateful for that. . . . 

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I say to all five of those Senators, we will miss them. We 

are grateful for their service. I know people must look at the 

Senate in many different ways. 

Let me conclude by telling a story about how some teachers look at it. We have a tradition in the Senate of making 

a maiden address. It is kind of a funny name, but we still 

call it that. We pick the subject of most interest to us. My 

subject was to put the teaching of U.S. history and civics 

back in its proper place in the school curriculum so our children would grow up learning what it means to be an American. There is not too much the Federal Government can do 

about that, but what we were able to do is to begin summer 

academies for outstanding teachers and students of American history. One group of those teachers was here in July, 

one from each State. I brought them on the Senate floor 

early one morning. I took them to Daniel Webster’s desk, 

which is occupied by the senior Senator from New Hampshire right here by me. I took them back to that part of the 

Senate where Jefferson Davis’ desk is, occupied by the senior 

Senator from Mississippi, and told them the story of how the 

marks in the desk are because a Union soldier came in during the Civil War and started chopping on it with his sword. 

His commanding officer came in and said, ‘‘Stop that. We are 

here to protect the Union, not to destroy it.’’ 

This Chamber is full of history, full of our country. Anyone 

who stands on this floor and sees the engravings of ‘‘In God 

We Trust’’ or ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’ and gets a sense of what 

has happened here has respect for it. The teachers had that 

respect. When we got to the end of our visit, one teacher said 

to me, I think it was the teacher from Oregon, ‘‘Senator, 

what would you like for us to take home to our students 

about our visit to the Senate floor?’’ 

I said, ‘‘I hope you will take back that each of us takes our 

position a lot more seriously than we take ourselves. We understand we are accidents, that we are very fortunate and 

privileged to be here, that each of us reveres our country, 

and we respect this institution. I can only speak for myself, 

but I think it is true of Senators on both sides of the aisle 

that we get up every day thinking first of how we can make 

a little contribution before we go to bed at night that will 

help the country be a little better off than it was in the 

morning. That means serving in the Senate is a very great 

privilege. I hope you will take that back to your students. I 

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paper about the Senate, but that is how we feel about the 

privilege we have to serve here.’’ 

To these five Senators—Warner, Domenici, CRAIG, Hagel, 

and Allard—we say goodbye. They are members of our family. We appreciate their service. We know they have believed 

it has been a very great privilege to serve in the Senate. For 

us it has been a great privilege to serve with them. 

I yield the floor. 

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to make a few comments about some of our departing colleagues who will not 

be joining us for the next session of Congress. They are great 

colleagues, people whom I have enjoyed working with in my 

31⁄2 years here in the Senate. They include Senator Allard 

from Colorado, Senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico, 

Senator John Warner from Virginia, Senator Chuck Hagel 

from Nebraska, and Senator LARRY CRAIG from Idaho. . . . 

Senator LARRY CRAIG from Idaho has been a champion for 

agriculture and rural issues and for western values. When, 

yesterday, we were able to pass the Payment in Lieu of 

Taxes, Secure Rural Schools Act, on which Senator Wyden 

and others had worked so hard, it was Senator CRAIG who 

helped make sure at the beginning that payment in lieu of 

taxes, which is so important to the presiding officer’s State 

and my State of Colorado, were, in fact, on the radar screen 

of Washington, DC. Sometimes those issues that are unique 

to the western part of the United States are not heard in the 

Halls in this Capitol. Senator CRAIG was an unrelenting advocate for making sure those western issues were, in fact, 

not forgotten by those of us who are here who have an ability to cast a vote. 

I will miss my five colleagues. All of them are Republicans 

who are departing. Many of them brought a true spirit of bipartisanship and working together, which is worthy of the 

emulation of many Members of the Senate who will serve in 

this Chamber in the next Congress and in many Congresses 

to come. 

I yield the floor. 

THURSDAY, September 25, 2008 

Mr. DOMENICI. At this time I would like to take some 

time to talk about Senator LARRY CRAIG and to thank him 

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for his service here in the Senate and for his service and 

dedication to his home State of Idaho. 

I have been fortunate enough to work with Senator CRAIG

on many of the same issues over the years. More often than 

not we were on the same side of those issues. We worked for 

many hours together on energy policy, and more specifically, 

nuclear energy policy. In addition, the States we represent, 

New Mexico and Idaho, are similar in that they are both in 

the West, are largely rural, have vast swaths of Federal 

land, and are home to Federal research laboratories. These 

similarities between the States we represent brought us together by way of common interests on many of the same policy subjects. 

Senator CRAIG and I served on the Appropriations Committee together for many years. During that time, we worked 

together to make sure the Departments of Energy and Interior were taken care of in terms of funding. As many of us 

know, Senator CRAIG comes from a strong agriculture background. At times we had to try to fend off, as best we could, 

efforts to change the Milk Income Loss Contract Program. 

The changes to the program would have compromised dairy 

producers from each of our home States. Dairy farmers in 

New Mexico and Idaho knew that Senator CRAIG was a formidable ally for their cause, and I thank him for his help 

and support. 

As chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I have always admired Senator 

CRAIG’s command of public lands policy. He has been a great 

leader on public lands issues throughout his career, and 

without the leadership of Senator CRAIG, we would have 

never been able to pass the healthy forests bill in December 

2003. It was also through his leadership we passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, 

which has been so important to both our States. He led the 

Republican side on public lands and forest issues as chairman or ranking member of the Public Lands and Forest Subcommittee from 1995 until 2007. 

Some of our most important work together took place in 

the nuclear arena. Senator CRAIG has done a tremendous job 

of promoting nuclear power as a safe, reliable, and clean 

source of energy. I appreciate his outstanding work on nuclear matters, and I appreciate his support and encouragement along the way for my efforts in this important area. 

Many people know that because of where we live and what 

we do in our States, Senator CRAIG and I naturally work on 

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similar matters. That is as it turned out. I will talk about 

some matters that have been very big for our country that 

are not natural to our States. 

First, I served with him on the Committee on Appropriations for a number of years. We worked together on energy 

policy and, more specifically, nuclear energy policy. The 

States we represent are home to national research laboratories. 

As many of my colleagues know, Senator CRAIG comes 

from a strong agricultural background. At times, we had to 

try to fend off, as best we could, efforts to change the Milk 

Income Loss Contract Program, called the MILC Program. 

That sounds like something we should all be for. It turns out 

that dairy farmers in New Mexico and Idaho knew Senator 

CRAIG was a formidable ally when it came to subsidies that 

would help some and hurt others. We were generally on the 

hurt end because we were smaller States that had that particular set of facts. We worked hard on those issues. I 

learned to respect him greatly. 

He led Republicans on public lands issues and forest issues 

as chairman and ranking member of the Public Lands and 

Forest Subcommittee from 1995 through 1997. This led to 

the enactment of the healthy forest bill in December 2003— 

I was part of that with him—and the Secure Rural Schools 

and Communities Self-Determination Act, which was his. I 

am sure most of the thinking to put it together was his. It 

was an absolutely stellar bill that got assistance to schools 

across his State and other Western States that lost some or 

all of their revenues for their schools because of the curtailment of timber sales in the area. He and the distinguished 

Senator from Washington worked together to get this done. 

Senator CRAIG and I have spent a great deal of time on 

matters pertaining to nuclear power. Nuclear power is making a renaissance in America. We will soon have many of 

them built in the United States. We have more than any 

other country in the world, but we only get 20 percent of our 

electricity from nuclear power. Countries such as France 

have gone way ahead of us and now have 75 to 80 percent. 

Other countries of the world have as well, since America has 

made its bid, saying: We are going to change our minds, for 

which I am very proud. I took the lead in that, with LARRY’s 

help, and we have changed America. With it has come a renaissance in nuclear power. 

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I wish him the greatest success in his retirement. I am 

sure we will hear from him. He is too young to be quiet. He 

will be doing something, and we will hear about it. 

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, as Senator CRAIG retires 

from the Senate, I want to take a few moments to recognize 

him and thank him for his work on behalf of the people of 

Idaho. He devoted 18 years to serving the people of Idaho in 

the Senate, following 10 years of service in the House of Representatives. Senator CRAIG and I worked together in two 

very different, very important areas: protecting civil liberties 

and supporting America’s dairy farmers. In both cases, he 

was dedicated to the best interests of the people of Idaho, 

and I am grateful for his efforts. 

Senator CRAIG was a key member of the group of six Senators—three Republicans and three Democrats, including 

myself—who worked together to try to strengthen the protections for Americans’ privacy rights in the PATRIOT Act reauthorization that we considered in the Senate during the 

109th Congress. His willingness to work across party lines 

on that issue was commendable, and it was a critical boost 

to our efforts. Senator CRAIG understands the importance of 

protecting Americans’ freedoms, and I applaud his commitment to these issues. 

I also thank him for his consistent support of dairy farmers, another area where we frequently worked together. Senator CRAIG and I shared concerns about the impact of the 

Australia Free Trade Agreement on dairy farmers, on the 

threat of unsafe importation of milk protein concentrates, 

and on nonfat milk price reporting errors. 

Once again on these issues, Senator CRAIG put the needs 

of the people of Idaho first, and reached across the aisle to 

protect hard-working dairy farmers. After 28 years of service 

in Congress, Senator CRAIG is retiring from the Senate, and 

I wish him all the best. His hard work and dedication have 

made a valuable contribution to the Senate and to the American people. 

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I wish to join my fellow 

Senators to honor a colleague and a friend, Senator LARRY

CRAIG, who is departing the U.S. Senate at the close of this 

Congress. I have enjoyed working with Senator CRAIG over 

the last 20 years—first in the U.S. House of Representatives 

and later in the U.S. Senate. 

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vered advocate of energy, public lands, and rural community 

issues. The two of us have stood together on numerous 

issues—most notably energy—and I have always believed 

that we could achieve any task because I had his voice of 

reason and intellect by my side. 

Senator CRAIG has shown the ability to keep a close eye 

on issues that matter most to citizens back in Idaho, while 

also looking out for all Americans. Whether the issue of the 

day was rural schools, western ranchers, public water, innovative forms of energy, and yes, even wolves, Senator CRAIG

has proven that he is up for any challenge. 

I would be mistaken to not mention the extraordinary 

work Senator CRAIG has done as a member of the Senate 

Veterans’ Affairs Committee. His work has been instrumental to ensure that all citizens who are part of our armed 

services—including servicemembers, family members and 

survivors of veterans—are provided the world-class care and 

benefits they have earned. I thank him for his relentless efforts to improve the lives of those who have worn the uniform. 

I thank the senior Senator from Idaho for his leadership 

and contributions to public service for the people of Idaho 

and all Americans. I honor Senator LARRY CRAIG not only for 

his length of service but more important his quality of service. I wish him and his loved ones all the best of health for 

many years to come. 

FRIDAY, September 26, 2008 

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I want to take just a few 

minutes to speak about our colleagues who have announced 

their plans to retire at the conclusion of this 110th Congress. 

We obviously will miss them. There are five individuals 

about whom I wanted to say a brief word: Senators Allard, 

Hagel, CRAIG, Warner, and Domenici. They have all brought 

their intelligence, principles, and perspectives on the issues 

confronting our Nation. The Nation is better for their efforts. . . . 

My longtime colleague on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator CRAIG, has been a valuable voice 

for Idaho for decades. He served in his State’s legislature for 

6 years before coming to the House of Representatives 28 

years ago where he served for 10 years. 

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In 1990, he was elected to the Senate. We worked very 

closely on issues important to energy and natural resources 

throughout the West. He has been a leader in many national 

policy areas, including aging and opening trade to Cuba. 

I have appreciated his contributions, particularly in our 

Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where his opinions have always been clearly expressed and his best efforts 

are made to represent his State and the Nation. 

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I wish to make a few 

comments about some of our departing colleagues who will 

no longer be with us next year. I have known some of them 

for just a little while, others I have known for a long time. 

And, to all of them I bid a fond farewell and mahalo for their 

service to their State and to this country. They are dear colleagues and friends of mine and I know that even if they 

leave this fine establishment, our friendships will continue 

long into the future. 

The Senators that I am referring to are Senator John Warner from Virginia, Senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico, 

Senator LARRY CRAIG from Idaho, Senator Chuck Hagel from 

Nebraska, and Senator Wayne Allard from Colorado. Please 

allow me just one moment to reflect on my service with each 

of these valuable Members. . . . 

I would be remiss were I not to mention the retirement of 

another of our colleagues, my friend LARRY CRAIG. Senator 

CRAIG and I served together on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which he chaired in the 109th Congress. I will not 

forget Chairman CRAIG’s willingness to bring the committee 

from Washington to my home State of Hawaii, to hear the 

concerns of Hawaii’s veterans first hand. Under his leadership, the committee held an unprecedented series of field 

hearings on the needs of veterans living in Hawaii, the Nation’s only island State. My colleague made this possible, and 

I will not forget his generosity. 

Senator CRAIG and I have not always agreed, but I am 

proud of the relationship he and I maintained as counterparts on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. His willingness to 

find workable compromises, and to work with, rather than 

against, those with opposing views, are both qualities in 

great need here in Washington. I wish him well as he returns to his native Idaho. Surely he will now be able to have 

more time with his wife, Suzanne, their three children, and 

their seven grandchildren. I wish him happiness and the 

best with his future endeavors. . . . 

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Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to speak today regarding the retirement of my friend and colleague, the senior 

Senator from Idaho. At the conclusion of this Congress, Senator LARRY CRAIG will end a political career that has included over three decades of service to the people of his 

State. I am sure many of my colleagues will agree, Senator 

CRAIG’s presence in the Senate will be missed. 

Senator CRAIG is a lifelong citizen of Idaho, having been 

born in Council, ID, and growing up on a ranch in Washington County. He attended college at the University of 

Idaho and later served in the Idaho National Guard. These 

close ties to his home State, I believe, informed almost every 

decision he made while serving in Congress. 

LARRY’s career in public service began in 1974 when he 

was elected to the Idaho State Senate. Six years later, he 

was elected to the House of Representatives, where he 

served five terms. In 1990, he was elected to his first of three 

terms in the Senate, where his devotion to the people of 

Idaho continued. 

During his time in the Senate, Senator CRAIG became involved in a number of efforts to serve the people of his State 

and the country as a whole. He has held prominent positions 

on the Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Energy and Resources Committees. He also had a brief stint on the Senate 

Judiciary Committee when I was serving as chairman. Although his time on the Judiciary Committee was short lived, 

Senator CRAIG was always an active member of that panel, 

pursuing immigration reform to help the farmers from his 

State and throughout the country and vigorously supporting 

legislation to protect civil liberties. 

In recognition of these efforts, he was inducted into the 

Idaho Hall of Fame in 2007. 

Of course, no discussion of Senator CRAIG would be complete without mentioning the Singing Senators, the now famous barbershop quartet that featured Senator CRAIG along 

with my good friends Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and James 

Jeffords. I think we all enjoyed the exploits of The Singing 

Senators during their brief moment in the limelight. Sadly, 

with the departure of Senator CRAIG, there will be no Singing Senators left. I still have my copy of their album, ‘‘Let 

Freedom Sing,’’ and I can only hope that LARRY will be taking home with him his copies of the albums I have recorded. 

If not, I am sure I can dig up some new ones for him. 

Mr. President, I want to close by saying that I have greatly admired Senator CRAIG for his devotion to the people of 

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his State and his efforts to improve our country. I want to 

wish him and his family the best of luck in any future endeavors. 

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, LARRY CRAIG has a 

long history of service to the people of Idaho. 

In 1974, he was elected to the Idaho State Senate, where 

he served three terms before winning the 1980 race for Idaho’s First Congressional seat. 

He was reelected four times before winning a U.S. Senate 

seat in 1990. 

As chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he assured that the health care needs of our Nation’s veterans 

were addressed, and he helped increase the number of claims 

processors to try to help veterans receive the benefits they 

deserve, with fewer delays. 

Throughout his career, Senator CRAIG has been a forceful 

advocate for commonsense, conservative solutions to our Nation’s problems. 

He has been a leader in the battle for lower taxes, private 

property rights, and greater accountability in government. 

He has been recognized by national groups, including Citizens for a Sound Economy, Citizens Against Government 

Waste, Watchdogs of the Treasury, and the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. 

He is also one of America’s foremost defenders of the second amendment. 

I wish Senator CRAIG well in his retirement. 

SATURDAY, September 27, 2008 

ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT 

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that the tributes to retiring Senators that appear in the Congressional Record be printed as a Senate document and that 

Senators be permitted to submit such tributes for inclusion 

until Friday, November 21, 2008. 

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

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MONDAY, September 29, 2008 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. . . . I offer thanks and best wishes to 

other colleagues who are leaving—Senators Allard, Hagel, 

and CRAIG. 

WEDNESDAY, October 1, 2008 

Mr. CORKER. Madam President, there are a number of 

distinguished Senators who are leaving this body this year. 

I know there have been a number of tributes given to all of 

them and their service. . . . 

LARRY CRAIG of Idaho who, again, in the energy area, has 

offered great counsel and made sure that wise decisions were 

made in that particular committee—I honor all of them. I 

wish them well. I think we are all better having had the opportunity to serve with them. 

THURSDAY, October 2, 2008 

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise this morning to recognize 

and pay tribute to several colleagues who are concluding careers in the Senate. These gentlemen have distinguished 

themselves. They have dedicated themselves to representing 

their States and representing the best interests of the Nation. . . . 

Senator LARRY CRAIG, with whom I had the privilege to 

serve on the Committee on Appropriations, is someone who 

has vigorously defended his positions in the Senate. We have 

disagreed more often than agreed, but our debates have been 

both vigorous and civil. I can recall managing the legislation, 

Senator CRAIG on the opposing side, with respect to issues 

of guns and firearms. I recall a debate that was vigorous, 

robust but principled. I appreciate that effort and his 

service. . . . 

To these Members, I wish them well. I thank them personally for their kindness to me and their thoughtfulness on so 

many other occasions. 

Mr. ALLARD. . . . Also retiring is Senator LARRY CRAIG

from Idaho, another westerner with whom I found a lot in 

common. He and I both have strong agricultural roots. He 

has been a very strong advocate of those issues important to 

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the West and his State of Idaho. Again, I have appreciated 

working with him on national park issues and public lands 

issues. He is a superb individual. 

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, as the 110th Congress comes 

to a close this fall, a chapter in Idaho politics also comes to 

a close. After serving in public office, first in the Idaho State 

legislature from 1975 to 1981, then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1990, and finally in the U.S. Senate from 1991 to 2009, my colleague, Senator LARRY CRAIG, 

is retiring from elective office. Over the years, he has doggedly pursued initiatives important to Idahoans and 

staunchly defended western values. 

Our colleagues in the Senate know about Senator CRAIG’s 

work over the years ensuring that the U.S. agricultural community has the support needed to thrive and continue ensuring our food security and playing a major role in the global 

economy. 

Our colleagues know about Senator CRAIG’s consistent 

stand on public lands, his unflinching defense of private 

property rights and his reliable support of those who are 

caretakers of this invaluable national resource. 

Our colleagues know Senator CRAIG’s stalwart defense of 

our second amendment rights and his tireless call for a balanced budget and lower taxes. 

Our colleagues in the Senate know that Senator CRAIG

has, on a number of occasions, reached across the aisle to 

promote bipartisan legislation. 

Our colleagues in the Senate know and have depended on 

the leadership exhibited over the years by a man with humble beginnings, born in a small Idaho town, on a family farm 

where he returned after college until the people of Payette 

and Washington Counties elected him to represent them in 

the Idaho State legislature. 

What may not be so well known about the senior Senator 

from Idaho is his commitment to adoption, to our youth, to 

community service, to our veterans, and to our seniors. 

Senator CRAIG’s three children are adopted. Over the 

years, he became a congressional leader in promoting adoption and working on policy initiatives that help adoptive parents and young children needing to find loving homes. He 

also helped found the Congressional Coalition on Adoption 

Institute. 

Senator CRAIG did not only champion adoption in Congress, he took a strong leadership role in the Congressional 

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courages young people to set high goals, to work toward 

them, and then when they have achieved these goals, it gives 

this body the opportunity to recognize their extraordinary accomplishments. The sense of community service this program grows in young people imparts a lifelong sense of civic 

duty and responsibility. In short, it grows great Americans. 

Speaking of great Americans, Senator CRAIG has been a 

champion of veterans as well, prioritizing their changing 

needs over the years and helping remind all of us that when 

a man or a woman defends the United States of America, 

that individual deserves to have this Nation care for them in 

their return and in their time of need. 

A believer in bringing Washington to Idaho, Senator CRAIG

has hosted over 300 townhall meetings since his election to 

the Senate. He has also made national priorities that involve 

Idaho and his priorities; namely, Department of Energy and 

Defense operations and research at the Idaho National Laboratory, the Mountain Home Air Force Base, and Gowan 

Field for the home of the Idaho National Guard. 

Senator CRAIG has not only supported children, young people, the military, and our veterans, he has also worked to 

champion the cause of the aging, serving on the Special 

Committee on Aging and keeping important senior issues at 

the forefront of our legislative policy. 

Senator CRAIG’s public service demonstrates a rich history 

of strong, conservative leadership, characterized by an 

unapologetic defense of democratic ideals of private property 

and personal liberty, woven together with an abiding and 

proactive concern for those without a voice in Washington. 

Idahoans across the State have come to know they can depend on Senator CRAIG to defend their economic well-being 

and their values. 

It has been a privilege for me to serve with Senator CRAIG

during my time in the Congress. I wish him and his wife Suzanne well as they enter this new chapter in their lives. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor. 

Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I thank my partner and colleague from Idaho, soon to become Idaho’s senior Senator, 

Mike Crapo. Mike and I have had a working relationship 

and a friendship for literally decades, and it is one I have 

greatly appreciated over the years because of his consistent 

and wise counsel. 

While I came to the Congress before Mike, Senator Crapo 

was in the legislature during a period of time after I was 

there, and so he brought with him, first to the House and 

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then to the Senate, the very similar experiences I had as a 

State legislator. I highly recommend that to anyone who 

wants to serve in the Senate, that they have that experience 

on the ground in their home State in a way that brings the 

reality of State governments and the Federal Government together. Certainly, over the years Senator Crapo has had that 

experience and has shared it with me. Together, I think we 

have made a very valuable team for our State. 

There is another aspect of Senator Crapo I have so highly 

regarded over the years, and certainly the presiding officer 

from Colorado would appreciate it. There is probably one single most valuable commodity in the high deserts of the 

West—such as many parts of the Colorado and the State of 

Idaho—and that is water. There is an old phrase that many 

have heard over the years, which is that whiskey is for 

drinking and water is for fighting over. And there is a lot of 

truth to that. Our States historically have that in their background as we sorted out our water problems and began to 

recognize these phenomenally valuable commodities. 

Mike Crapo, in his other life, spent a lot of time with 

water law. I always said that when it came to water issues 

here in Washington, while they best be fought out in the 

State Capitol in Boise, I wanted Mike Crapo by my side as 

we worked through water issues that were for our State and 

certainly for the Nation. Not only does he know the law, 

coming out of a high desert environment of the kind that is 

in southern, southeastern, and southwestern Idaho, he 

knows the reality. He knows the importance. He knows that 

water is life and death. It is economy or no economy based 

on its value. That is the kind of partnership we have had 

over the years. 

I will be replaced by Idaho’s Lieutenant Governor, Jim 

Risch. I am confident he will be elected, for a lot of reasons. 

First, he is a highly competent person. Idaho knows him well 

and respects him. He has served Idaho well and he will serve 

us very well here. He will become the junior partner of the 

soon-to-be senior Senator, Mike Crapo. That team, that organizational effort, that combining of forces on by far a majority of issues will be held for Idaho’s interests. 

Mike and I rarely split our votes. When we do, we talk 

about them, we know our differences and we understand 

them. But we have realized over the years that the team approach for Idaho and the Idaho delegation is very important 

for a small State—small by population, at least, certainly not 

small by geography. So the friendship and the relationship 

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I have had with Senator Crapo over the years has been personally very valuable to me, but I trust it has been very valuable to the State of Idaho. But that kind of working, 

teaming partnership is going to continue as I step down and 

Jim Risch is elected in November to continue to work with 

Mike Crapo. 

So I say to my colleague, Senator Crapo: Thank you. 

Thank you for the kind remarks and the working relationship and friendship we have had over the years. 

And to the presiding officer, while he has not served here 

as long as either of us, I would say to him that he fits in immediately, because he is a westerner who understands our 

issues, because they are his issues, and we have already 

begun to work those kinds of partnerships and relationships 

that are very valuable to the West, to the public lands, and 

to the interests of our States’ people. 

I thank the chair, and I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho. 

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I came down here to pay a 

tribute to our senior Senator from Idaho, Senator LARRY

CRAIG, and you can see the caliber of man he is—he came 

down and paid tribute to me. That is the way he is. 

I want to add to my remarks by thanking Senator CRAIG

personally for his tremendous assistance to me. From the 

very first day that I stepped foot on the floor of the Senate— 

in fact, before that, when I was trying to get elected to the 

Senate—Senator CRAIG was there to help. And once I was 

elected, Senator CRAIG set about making sure I could be successful. 

As he has indicated by his gracious remarks, that is the 

kind of man he is. He is a tremendous friend and he is a tremendous advocate and he has the kind of principles and values that have helped him to represent the people of Idaho 

so well over the years. He has committed his life to public 

service and has shown the people of Idaho and the people of 

this Nation the kind of leadership we should have in this 

country, fighting for those kinds of principles that I have 

mentioned—whether it be private property rights, a balanced 

budget, lower, smaller government, protecting those without 

a voice, working for the veterans, working for senior citizens, 

and his commitment to working for our newest citizens of 

our world, those who need adoption. The list goes on and on. 

I want to personally thank you, LARRY, for the opportunity 

to serve with you here in the Senate, and to tell you that I 

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and all of us in Idaho will miss you and look forward to continuing to work with you as you enter this new chapter of 

your life. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence 

of a quorum. 

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, while the Senator from Idaho 

is on the floor, I made some comments earlier about the 

pleasure of being able to work with him in the Senate. I wish 

to also recognize the fine work he has done on energy. We 

certainly appreciate his work on that. 

Colorado is an energy-rich State. We have all forms of energy, not only fossil fuels but also wind and solar and geothermal. I think Senator CRAIG has been very sensitive to 

those. 

When working with the Senator from Idaho I felt like he 

truly had the Nation’s interest in mind. It has been a pleasure for me to serve with Senator CRAIG, particularly on the 

Appropriations Committee. The Senator brought in a very 

competent staff and was himself extremely knowledgeable. 

As we leave this institution, I wish to thank the Senator 

from Idaho for all the work he did to help me along with legislation. What a privilege it has been to be able to know Senator CRAIG and work with him in the Senate. Also, I wish 

to recognize the Senator’s hard work in the Senate. . . . 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho. 

Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, before the senior retiring Senator from the State of Colorado leaves, let me thank him for 

his gracious comments. We have been a very good team and 

have partnered on a lot of issues over the years because we 

have such common interests in mind. Our States are very 

similar in so many ways. 

The State of Colorado happens to have the hydrocarbons 

we do not have, when it comes to gas and oil. But at the 

same time, agriculture, water, and timber, tourism, and all 

the great things many people attribute to the West are embodied in the State of Colorado and certainly in the State of 

Idaho. 

But a very special thanks to Senator Allard for your fine 

comments. The work the Senator has done on behalf of his 

State is precedent setting. I hope—I know—the Senator will 

be continually recognized for that. 

Let me also say the Senator and his wife Joan have become good friends of both my wife Suzanne and I. Those are 

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ate. I hope other Senators recognize the Senate works well 

when Senators are friends and partners. 

Now, we may have our disagreements along the way, and 

there may be some disagreements between Democrats and 

Republicans, but when the collegiality of the Senate leaves, 

the Senate no longer works or works as well as it should on 

behalf of our citizens. Certainly, the collegiality between the 

Craigs and the Allards has been long-standing and greatly 

appreciated. Thank you. 

Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I would like to begin my remarks this afternoon acknowledging four of our colleagues 

who will be leaving the Senate along with me at the end of 

this Congress, the 110th Congress, and then make some additional comments. . . . 

Mr. President, the fourth Member of the Senate who will 

be leaving along with me will be the senior Senator from 

Idaho, LARRY CRAIG. I have had an opportunity to work with 

Senator CRAIG over the years on environmental issues, energy issues, trade issues, agricultural issues. There have 

been few who have been as forceful and important a voice on 

behalf of those critical challenges to our country. 

Senator CRAIG, Senator Allard, Senator Warner, and Senator Domenici all leave the Senate a better institution for 

their service. 

Mr. LEVIN. I rise today to pay tribute to my colleague 

from Idaho, Senator LARRY CRAIG. As the chairman of the 

Armed Services Committee, I can particularly appreciate the 

vital role played by the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. LARRY

served as the chairman of that important committee from 

2005 to 2007, and the ranking member since then. During 

his tenure, Veterans’ Affairs has been challenged by two ongoing wars and, more recently, by public revelations of serious deficiencies in our system for caring for our wounded 

warriors. 

Helping our Nation’s wounded warriors is a cause to which 

LARRY CRAIG is profoundly committed. He has fought for our 

deserving and brave veterans by introducing bills to improve 

educational opportunities and to expand benefits for traumatic injuries. He helped make possible a rare joint hearing 

between the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Armed 

Services Committee to look into the situation at Walter Reed 

and help formulate the wounded warrior legislation which 

passed through the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan 

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support as part of the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2008. 

While LARRY CRAIG and I have often been on opposite 

sides of policy debates, I admire his commitment to his views 

and to the people of Idaho. In addition to the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator CRAIG serves as the ranking member on the Subcommittees on Interior and Related Agencies, 

and Superfund and Environmental Health, legislative areas 

of great concern to the citizens of Boise, the ranchers of 

Midvale and the skiers of Sun Valley. And today, I join my 

colleagues in thanking LARRY CRAIG for his service to his 

State and his country, and I wish him and Suzanne the very 

best in the future. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, one of the great sticking 

points for the Framers of the U.S. Constitution was how 

small States would be represented in the new government. 

In the end, the compromise that gave small and big States 

equal representation in the U.S. Senate broke the logjam, 

paved the way for ratification, and became one of the most 

distinctive—and best—features of our democracy. 

It has ensured that the interests of all Americans, including those who live in remote or secluded corners of the country, are felt in the halls of power. And, throughout the life 

of our country, it has meant that men and women who understood those interests and who could communicate them 

with clarity and purpose would always have a central place 

in the U.S. Senate. 

For nearly two decades, LARRY CRAIG has been that person 

for the people of Idaho—a fierce advocate and an effective 

legislator who understands the needs of his State, and always delivered. 

The grandson of a homesteader, Senator CRAIG was born 

on a ranch north of Boise and attended public schools. He 

graduated from the University of Idaho in 1969 and may 

have been its most prominent alumnus before the world got 

to know the current Governor of Alaska a few weeks ago. 

After college, Senator CRAIG served in the National Guard, 

worked as a farmer-rancher, and was elected to the Idaho 

Senate in 1974. Seven years later, Idaho voters sent him to 

Washington. 

After a decade in the House, they sent him to the Upper 

Chamber. And he has been fighting their battles here in the 

Senate ever since. 

One of his favorite targets over the years are the western 

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posed by the native Idahoans who cherish and live off the 

land. 

He fought revisions of the Mining Act of 1872 and a Clinton-era proposal to introduce grizzlies into Idaho’s Bitterroot 

Range. 

Over the years, he’s fought anyone who tried to impose 

rules and restrictions on land use that natives oppose. Those 

battles heated up in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2005 

Kelo ruling. And over the last 3 years, he’s fought hard to 

protect the private property rights of farmers and ranchers 

who have been left especially vulnerable by the Court’s Kelo 

decision. 

Senator CRAIG took a lead role in the farm bill debate over 

the last 2 years, making sure it included funds to support 

specialty crop producers in Idaho, one of the Nation’s top 

producers of specialty crops, and about one-third of the Nation’s potatoes. And he played a vital role in smoothing the 

way for the bill’s final passage earlier this summer. 

As chairman of the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee, Senator CRAIG fought to reform the Nation’s Forest Service, which drastically reduced the timber harvest on 

public lands during the Clinton administration, cutting into 

the livelihoods of Idahoans in small towns across the State. 

For municipalities that couldn’t recoup the losses from lost 

timber revenue, Senator CRAIG reached across the aisle and 

worked with Senator Wyden to find compensation that 

helped them cope. It was a characteristic gesture of bipartisan work, and one he’s employed repeatedly over the years. 

He’s been a strong defender of free trade. 

As chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, he sponsored a bill that would enable seniors to buy State-approved 

long-term care policies. 

And he has been a good friend to our Nation’s veterans, 

serving as chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. 

A new tower at Boise’s airport would not have been built 

without Senator CRAIG’s help. Neither would the new VA 

clinic that opened in Caldwell just last year. In a long Senate 

career, Senator CRAIG has fought with clarity and conviction 

for Idahoans. Along the way, he has been a friend of veterans, children seeking a home through adoption, and thousands of American farmers and ranchers, particularly those 

in the Pacific Northwest. 

And, along with three other Senate colleagues who’ve 

moved on, he entertained us as a member of the Singing 

Senators. 

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With Senator CRAIG’s retirement, the last of the Singing 

Senators will have left the building. 

And the people of Idaho will have lost one of their greatest 

champions. 

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, five colleagues on my side of the 

aisle are retiring from the Senate at the end of this session. 

They have served for many years, and I have come to know 

each of them very well. 

Senator LARRY CRAIG and I served in the House together 

until 1991 when Senator CRAIG moved to the Senate. I joined 

him 4 years later. We represent Western States, so we have 

had occasion to work together on issues that are important 

to the American West. 

In his position on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he has defended property rights and stood for the 

prudent use of our natural resources. He has also been a 

strong advocate of Americans’ second amendment rights. 

And, as a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee— for 

a time the ranking member—he has worked to ensure that 

veterans receive the benefits they were promised. 

Senator CRAIG has held a number of positions among Senate Republicans. He served as chairman of the Republican 

Policy Committee, and he participated in the musical effort 

of Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, Jim Jeffords, and 

himself—the Singing Senators. 

After almost three decades in the U.S. Congress, Senator 

CRAIG is now leaving public service. Idaho has lost a great 

Senator who always looked out for the interests of the State 

and its citizens. He has a great record of accomplishment on 

which to reflect—numerous legislative victories and, of 

course, one CD. 

We will miss Senator CRAIG in the Senate, especially the 

spirited remarks he so often delivered on the Senate floor. 

I wish LARRY and Suzanne all the best and hope they have 

many happy moments with their wonderful family. 

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the State of Idaho occupies 

a very special place in my life’s career. In the summer of 

1943, during the height of World War II, I had the great fortune to find a job with the U.S. Forest Service. I was sent 

to Idaho, along with many other young men, to work in the 

forests. We performed a wide range of duties, from clearing 

trails to fighting forest fires. 

After brief service in the Navy in the final year of World 

War II, I attended college and at my first opportunity, in the 

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summer of 1947, I returned to Idaho to once again work with 

the Forest Service, helping preserve one of nature’s greatest 

gifts—the mighty trees of the West. 

Those two summers of hard work trained and prepared me 

to always respect those who labor with their hands. 

Throughout my career in the Senate, I have enjoyed working with Senators from Idaho, and sharing common interests, such as forestry and preserving the great outdoors, with 

those who represent that State. Senator LARRY CRAIG is one 

of those. 

Through the years, I have found his perspective on controversial issues, such as forests, mining and agriculture, especially the potato and sugar-beet issues, to be very valuable 

and informative. 

LARRY CRAIG and I also share an interest in the fine arts. 

My hobby is painting in oil; his is drawing with meticulous 

design. His creations are extraordinary in their detail. I 

hope, as he leaves the Senate, he will have opportunities to 

further utilize those exceptional talents to create pieces of 

art to be enjoyed by others. 

I wish him and his family well. 

MONDAY, November 17, 2008 

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I rise to recognize the 

service of a great public servant and an outstanding leader. 

Senator CRAIG has served his home State of Idaho for 18 

years in the U.S. Senate. He has been a fervent leader to the 

people of Idaho with unwavering devotion. 

Senator CRAIG has sought to establish Federal policies 

that respond to the needs and interests of Idahoans by constructing strong, sustainable rural communities, seeking access to adequate, affordable health care, and developing natural resource and energy policies that protect the environment and keep consistency with economic growth. 

Senator CRAIG’s leadership in promoting economic development and strengthening American agriculture has led to the 

improvement of both agricultural studies and programs. His 

resilient leadership has helped to foster numerous programs 

in Idaho that will benefit agricultural entrepreneurship and 

help to strengthen the partnership between State and Federal groups. Senator CRAIG has truly served the people of 

Idaho with distinction. 

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Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying 

tribute to this magnificent Senator. 

WEDNESDAY, November 19, 2008 

Mr. SPECTER. LARRY CRAIG has made significant contributions to the Senate during his three terms. He has been 

a leader on energy, agriculture policy, and veterans affairs. 

During the debate on immigration, he was a forceful spokesman for a guest farmworkers program. When we next take 

up important subjects, his leadership will be missed, 

I worked with him closely on veterans affairs where he 

chaired that committee after I moved from chairman there 

to chair the Judiciary Committee. His leadership on a codel 

to the World War II battlefields in France over Memorial 

Day 2006 was particularly noteworthy. Our visits to U.S. 

cemeteries in France and inspection of the Normandy beaches were memorable. 

I was glad to see LARRY finish out his full third term after 

the incident at the Minneapolis airport. When I heard the recording of the police officer’s questioning him, I immediately 

thought that there was insufficient evidence of wrongful conduct. I heard the reports that he planned to resign at the 

end of September 2006 and called him to suggest that he 

modify his public statement to allow for reconsideration of 

that decision. He did so, and as the record shows, his legal 

challenges, well within his rights, enabled him to stay 

through the conclusion of the 110th Congress. 

Since that event, he has weathered the storm, conducted 

himself with dignity on his official duties and made a real 

contribution to the Senate. It was definitely in the interests 

of his Idaho constituents and the Senate for him to stay on 

and complete his term. 

THURSDAY, November 20, 2008 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I appreciate having this opportunity to wish LARRY CRAIG all the best as he retires and returns home to his beloved Idaho. I have enjoyed having a 

chance to work with him on issues of concern to the people 

of our States. He has been an important part of the work we 

have done on many of the issues that have come to the floor 

of the Senate and he will be difficult to replace. 

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Ever since he first arrived in the Senate, LARRY has been 

a champion for the West and a strong and powerful voice on 

the issues that concern the people of Wyoming and Idaho. 

His dedication to making his home State a better place to 

live and his determination to make a difference in the Nation through his service in the Senate have made him a force 

to be reckoned with for many years. 

LARRY has long Idaho roots that date back to his family’s 

arrival in Idaho more than a century ago. He was born on 

the family ranch that his grandfather had homesteaded back 

in 1899. The ranch has been the proud home of the Craig 

family ever since. 

Sometime during the days when LARRY was a young man 

growing up in Idaho, he was bitten by the political bug. It 

got him started on the path toward what would be a career 

of public service. Then, in 1974, LARRY was elected to the 

Idaho State Senate. It set him on a path that would take 

him to the U.S. Senate. 

Because of his background as a rancher and a farmer, 

LARRY knows the importance of the land and the need for us 

to be good stewards of all the resources under our control. 

After all, as we have heard so very often, when it comes to 

the land, they aren’t making any more of it. That is why 

LARRY has always been determined to ensure that Idaho’s 

natural treasures were well taken care of. It is not an exaggeration to say that LARRY has been the guardian at the gate 

to ensure the Federal Government didn’t overstep its boundaries and overregulate the land in Idaho during his watch. 

His commitment to the land and to the people of Idaho 

who rely on it for their livelihood particularly showed itself 

during his service on the Energy and Natural Resources 

Committee. He took full advantage of the opportunity to 

work against any effort that would adversely affect the ability of the people of Idaho to make good use of their State’s 

land. Also on his agenda was the Endangered Species Act 

and the problems that had come with its application. It was 

a fight LARRY was determined to win and he did more than 

just express his concern. He rolled up his sleeves and got to 

work. The new law he helped to write is not only more effective, but it is also designed to minimize its impact on property rights, employment, and our State and local economies. 

In the years to come I will most remember LARRY for his 

ability to present his case with power and emotion whenever 

he would speak in committee or on the floor. LARRY’s speaking and his debating skills are second to none. He has been 

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called one of the most influential of all the western Senators 

and his conservative style has proven to be one of his greatest strengths. 

LARRY is probably best known for his work on immigration 

and his support for the ability of seasonal workers to come 

to the United States to work on our farms. He knows the importance of developing solutions to tough problems like immigration that do not hurt State economies or make life 

harder for our family farms and ranches. 

The habits that he learned on the family ranch have been 

with him his entire life and that is why you will usually find 

him hard at work in his garden. It is his favorite activity 

when he is away from his office and it is one he can share 

with his grandchildren. As the grandfather of three children 

myself, I can identify with his interest and the time he sets 

aside to be with his seven grandchildren. 

Speaking of his favorite hobby, he once said, ‘‘My wife 

knows she’s not a golf widow or a skiing or a hunting widow. 

She’s a gardening widow.’’ LARRY is also a tremendous artist. 

His ‘‘works’’ are widely prized and collected. 

LARRY, I will be sorry to see you and Suzanne leave, saddlebags flapping in the wind as you ride off into the sunset. 

Now there will be time for all the things you have been putting off for some day, for now there will be plenty of some 

days for you to share with Suzanne. Diana and I wish you 

all the best in whatever you choose to do in the coming 

years. As we have found, the end of one great adventure is 

only the beginning of the next. So it will be for you. Good 

luck and God bless. 

THURSDAY, November 20, 2008 

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

that the order from September 27 regarding tributes to retiring Senators be modified so that Senators be permitted to 

submit such tributes for inclusion in a Senate document 

until Friday, December 12, 2008. 

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

Æ