Mark Udall 

U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Mark Udall 

Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office 


91911.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2015

S. DOC. 113–37 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Mark Udall 

United States Congressman 

1999–2009 

United States Senator 

2009–2015 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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

Farewell Address ...................................................................................... vii 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado ................................................ 7 

Boxer, Barbara, of California .................................................... 19 

Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania ..................................... 17 

Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware ......................................... 6 

Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois ................................................... 5 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 17 

Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii ...................................................... 18 

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 16 

Levin, Carl, of Michigan ............................................................ 5 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 4 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 14 

Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire ...................................... 18 

Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan ................................................. 20 

Udall, Mark, of Colorado ........................................................... 4 

Udall, Tom, of New Mexico ....................................................... 12 

Wyden, Ron, of Oregon .............................................................. 3 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

The people of Colorado elected MARK UDALL to the U.S. 

Senate in 2008. Before that he represented the State’s Second Congressional District for five terms (1999–2009). He 

also served one term in the Colorado State Legislature as a 

member of the General Assembly (1997–1999), representing 

the 13th District, which encompassed the community of 

Longmont and parts of southern Boulder County. 

In the U.S. Senate, MARK served on three committees: 

Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Reinforcing his priority of 

protecting our Western lands, MARK chaired the National 

Parks Subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resources 

Committee. He was also proud to serve as the chairman of 

the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. In that role, MARK

had oversight responsibility for all U.S. military space, intelligence, and cyberdefense efforts, and our ballistic missile defense and nuclear weapons programs. MARK’s committee assignments gave him a platform to address many issues important to Colorado, including national security, energy, the 

economy, clean energy jobs, and natural resources. 

[ vii ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Friday, December 12, 2014 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, it is humbling 

to stand here to speak one final time with my colleagues as 

a U.S. Senator. 

As a lifelong mountain climber, I have learned far more 

from the mountains I did not summit, than those I did. 

Every climb, I have found, offers a chance to look back and 

reflect, and standing here today gives me a unique opportunity to appreciate just how far we have come. 

For the past 18 years, my most rewarding challenge has 

been exercising the power lent to me by the people of Colorado to fight on their behalf, first in the State house and 

then in the U.S. Congress. Throughout my career in public 

service—my 6 years in the U.S. Senate being but one chapter—I have always been guided by the rugged independence, 

strength, and cooperative spirit that defines who we are as 

Coloradans and as Westerners. 

That spirit helped me craft solutions to long-standing 

problems in my home State of Colorado. From my very first 

week in the U.S. Senate, I worked at resolving the decadeslong impasse between southern Colorado ranchers and the 

U.S. Army, which uses the land surrounding Pin ̃ on Canyon 

to train soldiers for deployment into war zones. After 5 years 

of listening and lots of hard work, we reached a deal that 

protects the property rights of landowners while ensuring 

our troops are prepared to defend our Nation. It was a 

teamwork-oriented approach that reflected Colorado’s best 

problem-solving traditions. 

I have said for years that Coloradans pull together come 

hell or high water. Little did I know that this saying would 

prove itself to be true during my time in the U.S. Senate, 

from wildfires that left thousands homeless to a biblical flood 

in 2013 that swept over much of the Front Range. Despite 

the partisan Federal Government shutdown of 2013, we delivered more than $770 million in emergency flood support 

and marshaled nearly $2.5 billion in additional Federal assistance so that Colorado could rebuild better and stronger 

[ viii ] 

than before. This disaster relief work includes conservation 

easements and watershed protection funds to ward off future 

floods and a series of next-generation air tankers to help us 

fight fires for decades to come. This is in addition to the 

more immediate support needed to rebuild roads, bridges, 

and the infrastructure that our communities depend on. 

Our uniquely Western perspective holds that compromise 

is not capitulation, and that we are stronger when every 

member of the community has a seat at the table—not just 

the privileged. This is a cause that my family has championed for generations and it is a creed that should continue 

to drive all Coloradans who answer the call to serve. 

At this point in our politics, Americans are rightly impatient with the willful, partisan gridlock and dysfunction in 

Washington. Yet, in Colorado, we know that by working together we have been able to keep our State moving forward 

and do our part to overcome Washington silliness for the 

good of the Nation. 

But even as we keep our eyes on the horizon and the work 

we still have to do, it is also important that we protect our 

special way of life—and safeguard our land, water, and air 

for future generations. I strongly believe that we do not inherit the Earth from our parents—we borrow it from our 

children. That is why I have championed efforts to preserve 

our public lands and the special places and natural wonders 

that define Colorado. Those efforts include creating new wilderness areas around James Peak, ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty of the Great Sand Dunes 

and Chimney Rock, and turning Rocky Flats—a former nuclear weapons facility—into a wildlife refuge. I will continue 

working hard to protect Brown’s Canyon, which I hope to see 

designated as a national monument in the days ahead. 

Protecting these special places along with our clean air 

and water is just part of the larger fight to confront the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. Colorado 

has long led the Nation’s pursuit of a balanced, forwardthinking energy strategy. Much of the progress Colorado has 

made came after I fought alongside Republican Speaker of 

the Colorado House Lola Spradley in 2004 to pass our State’s 

first renewable electricity standard. This was the Nation’s 

first democratically passed renewable energy policy, and one 

which has actually been strengthened and added to since it 

was created. Since then, Colorado’s renewable electricity 

standard has increased from its start at 10 percent to the 30 

percent it is today. It has become a model for the Nation in 

[ ix ] 

how to create good-paying clean energy jobs while fighting 

the causes of climate change. 

I built on this effort in the U.S. Senate by successfully 

pushing to extend the production tax credit for wind energy. 

This has been a years-long, bipartisan effort that I am proud 

to have led alongside Senator Grassley from Iowa. From 

coming to the floor more than two dozen times to explain the 

importance of wind State-by-State and to demand an extension in 2012, to fighting to extend the wind tax credit again 

this year, I have never given up on Colorado’s thriving windenergy industry and the more than 5,000 jobs it supports 

across the State. This is the sort of commonsense, bipartisan 

policy that helps hard-working American families today but 

is also part of implementing a clean energy future for generations to come. 

As a Nation, over the past few years, we have persevered 

through difficult times to continue building toward a more 

perfect union. When our country was faced with the possibility of another Great Depression, we took decisive action— 

avoiding financial collapse, supporting 6 straight years of job 

growth in private industry, and making smart investments 

in everything from repairing our crumbling roads to reinvigorating Denver’s historic Union Station. That is something to 

be proud of. There’s a lot more to be done—but it is important to pause and note the successful milestones we have already reached on the road to recovery. 

Despite a flawed rollout, the Nation’s health care law has 

increased access to quality health coverage for more than 

400,000 Coloradans, helped families lower expenses and plan 

their future with free contraceptive care, and kept costs 

down for the first time in decades. This is helping to keep 

families out of bankruptcy and making sure that all Americans—not just the wealthiest among us—receive the care 

they and their families deserve. 

Thomas Jefferson once said that a true patriot loves her 

country not just for what it is . . . but for what it can be. I 

think a country where every family can rest easy knowing 

that they will never be left in the cold again when it comes 

to accessing health care is a cause worth fighting for, and I 

could not be more grateful to those who have fought alongside me to make that a reality. At the same time, we must 

also continue to monitor closely its implementation to ensure 

we identify and correct any unexpected and uneven impacts 

on Coloradans and Americans. 

[ x ] 

While protecting Americans from the abuses of an out-ofcontrol health care system is an achievement we should all 

celebrate, I have been equally as passionate about upholding 

the Bill of Rights and protecting our freedom and right to 

equality. We still have a way to go, but I am proud to have 

followed in the footsteps of so many great leaders, including 

many in my own family, who fought to make sure America 

lives up to the values enshrined in our Constitution. 

Many of you may recall that my father, Mo, helped to integrate the University of Arizona, when it was beset by racial 

divisions. My grandfather, Levi, issued a famous court decision that recognized Native Americans’ constitutionally protected right to vote in our elections. My Uncle Stewart challenged discrimination in our Nation’s Capital when he confronted the Washington football team to demand they allow 

Black athletes to play alongside white athletes. It has been 

these examples among so many others that inspired me to 

take action when I felt we were not living up to our constitutional ideals. 

That includes leading the successful fight to repeal the 

military’s discriminatory ‘‘don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy that 

had so shamefully kept gay and lesbian Americans from 

openly serving their country in the Armed Forces. It includes 

passing landmark hate crimes prevention legislation and a 

law to make it easier for women to fight wage discrimination. 

While there is much work left to be done to protect our 

constitutional rights, I am proud to have led the effort to reconcile the enormous power of our Nation’s intelligence agencies with the bedrock principles of our democracy. We have 

proven that the choice between ensuring our security and 

protecting our privacy is a false choice, and that we can keep 

faith with our Nation’s founding principles while also safeguarding our communities. So when the CIA tortured people 

in the name of the Americans it was supposed to serve, we 

were strong enough as a Nation to admit our mistakes and 

commit to learning from this dark period in our Nation’s history. That is why I led the fight on the Intelligence Committee to declassify the findings of our landmark report on 

the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, to make 

sure that future Presidents and intelligence community leaders do not violate the principles that make America so exceptional. 

These are all important accomplishments—but I would be 

remiss if I did not acknowledge that true leadership is a 

[ xi ] 

team sport. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by many 

people whose insights, counsel and contributions have made 

me a stronger and more effective advocate for Colorado. In 

particular, I want to point out that former Colorado U.S. 

Senator Gary Hart has been a key, trusted advisor and a 

dear friend throughout my 18 years of public service. I want 

to thank my chief of staff, Michael Sozan, who has guided 

my Senate office with a steady hand for the last 6 years . . . 

and my State director, Jen Rokala, who I have had the 

pleasure of working with over the past 15 years as we served 

the people of Colorado. I also want to thank Joe Britton, my 

deputy chief of staff; Jake Swanton, my legislative director; 

John Fossum, my administrative director; and Mike Saccone, 

my communications director, for ably guiding me and my office. 

Even before coming to the Senate, I had the pleasure of 

working with many dedicated people who put everything on 

the line to better serve Colorado. I want to thank Alan 

Salazar, my former chief of staff, along with Laura Davis, 

Lisa Carpenter, Stan Sloss, Doug Young, Cookab Hashemi, 

and Tara Trujillo for their guidance, patience, and good 

humor. I also want to thank two staffers who have been with 

me from the start: Jennifer Barrett, one of my most trusted 

advisers, and Carter Ellison, my constituent services director. The list of talented and driven people who have worked 

with me over the years is too long to read but their commitment to serving Colorado and our Nation fills me with awe. 

I will miss my team greatly. 

It also has been my honor to serve as a member of the 

Senate Armed Services Committee for the last 6 years—and 

on the House Armed Services Committee before that. During 

that time, I had the privilege of working on behalf of the tremendous men and women who defend our Nation. I have 

witnessed their great courage, professionalism and commitment in performing dangerous missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, 

Djibouti, and other places around the world. I have been 

humbled by the indomitable spirit of our wounded warriors 

recovering at Walter Reed, Bethesda, and in Colorado. I have 

mourned our fallen. Their sacrifice, and the loss that is 

borne by their families and a grateful Nation, is never far 

from my mind. To all those who have served, and to all their 

loved ones, I offer my deepest thanks and my never-ending 

gratitude. 

When I first came to the U.S. Senate, I told my colleagues 

that we were not elected to solve Democratic or Republican 

[ xii ] 

problems, but to find uniquely American solutions to our 

toughest challenges. Just like mountain climbers who are all 

on the same rope, we know that we are all in this together— 

and that we are only truly successful when we all succeed 

together. 

The great writer Wallace Stegner challenged us to build 

communities to match our scenery. In a narrow sense, that 

means that we should strive to make our society as beautiful 

and thriving as the natural landscape that surrounds us. But 

in a broader sense, it also means that our communities 

should bring out the best in us, and that we should never 

stop building on the uniquely independent yet cooperative 

spirit that makes Colorado great. 

That is the spirit that has guided me throughout my time 

in public service, and it is the spirit that will continue to 

guide me as I find new ways to keep Colorado and our country moving forward. 

It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be a U.S. 

Senator from Colorado and I will be forever grateful for having had the challenge and the opportunity to serve our great 

country. 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

MARK UDALL 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

TUESDAY, December 9, 2014 

Mr. WYDEN. I close with just a word about our friend and 

colleague Senator MARK UDALL of Colorado. I have had the 

pleasure of serving with Senator UDALL on the Intelligence 

Committee and have admired his commitment to American 

security and core American values. Many in the Senate 

would not know this because all of those intelligence meetings are behind closed doors, but MARK UDALL is not a Senator who is afraid to stand alone. He is not afraid to fight 

for what he believes in. When the fight to declassify this report [on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program] got 

bumpy—and let me tell you it did a lot of times. I think 

some of you heard this weekend we had an 11th-hour objection to the report getting out. People asked me what I 

thought, and I said it was not particularly surprising because there were objections practically every hour on the 

hour for months and months. Yet when the fight to declassify the report got very difficult, some people said: This is 

going to get buried forever. That is what happens when you 

try to get accountability and transparency. Senator MARK

UDALL made it clear that wasn’t going to be allowed to happen on MARK UDALL’s watch. 

I am going to wrap up by saying to Senator UDALL, I remember when we started this battle together and we got a 

handful of votes, sometimes like 13 to 2 or whatever. We 

thought it was going to be a long time before there was reform. We went from those days to eventually getting up to 

15 or 20 votes. Colleagues, today, to a great extent because 

of Senator UDALL, in the last vote for real surveillance reform, we were up to 58 votes—58 votes for real surveillance 

reform. That, to a great extent, is possible because of the extraordinary service of my good friend Senator MARK UDALL

from Colorado. We Westerners always make sure we stay in 

touch, and you know that is going to be the case with this 

particular friend from the West, a wonderful Senator, Mr. 

MARK UDALL. 

[ 4 ] 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, today is a historic 

day, as Senator Wyden made clear, Senator Feinstein, Senator Rockefeller, and many other Senators to follow. 

Before I talk about my involvement in the efforts that 

were put forth to reach this day, I want to say to Senator 

Wyden, my good friend, you honor me with those comments. 

I want to acknowledge that when you are in a fight, it matters whom you are in the fight with. It has been my privilege 

and honor to fight on the side of transparency, on the side 

of protecting the Bill of Rights, and this has been a righteous 

cause. We are going to continue to work to find the right balance between privacy and security. As Ben Franklin famously implied, we can have both, but we don’t end up with 

both if we set aside the Bill of Rights and those fundamental 

principles that are enshrined into the Bill of Rights. It has 

been my privilege to fight alongside you, and I wish you all 

the best. Yes, we westerners will stay in touch. . . . 

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes to salute my colleagues who are departing the Senate 

at the end of this year with the conclusion of the 113th Congress: Mark Begich of Alaska, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, 

Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, 

Tom Harkin of Iowa, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Carl 

Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jay Rockefeller 

of West Virginia, MARK UDALL of Colorado, and John Walsh 

of Montana. 

They have all worked hard, ceaselessly giving their energy 

and considerable time and service to their constituents, to 

their home States and to our country. I want to thank them 

for their service and for their kindness to me over many 

years in so many cases. In particular, I want to say a few 

words about these colleagues. . . . 

MARK UDALL and I served together on the Armed Services 

Committee. I am grateful to have traveled with him to Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2011. He is committed to our 

troops, committed to our national security, committed to his 

home State. He has been an advocate for clean energy, for 

natural resources, for things that will be a legacy for generations to come in Colorado and throughout the United 

States. . . . 

Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us 

at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them 

for their service, their dedication to improving the lives of 

[ 5 ] 

Americans, and on a very personal level for their friendship. 

I wish them all well. 

WEDNESDAY, December 10, 2014 

Mr. LEVIN. . . . I will yield to the Senator from Colorado 

[Mr. UDALL], but first I wish to thank him for the great contribution he has made to our committee. I think he is planning on speaking on a different subject. He has played a 

major role on the Intelligence Committee. I look forward to 

reading, if not hearing, his remarks on the subject on which 

I know he has spent a good deal of time. Although he has 

had perhaps more visibility in terms of the Intelligence Committee, he has been a major contributor on the Armed Services Committee. I can’t say we will miss him because I will 

not be here, but they will miss the Senator from Colorado. 

Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues 

who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list of 

tributes. . . . 

MARK UDALL, my friend from Colorado and the Presiding 

Officer’s colleague. As I said last night, I served with his 

dad. His dad may have been the funniest public servant I 

ever served with. What a wit, what a sense of humor. He 

once said, ‘‘If you have politics in your bloodstream, only embalming fluid will replace it.’’ 

Thank goodness the Udalls have politics in their bloodstream. Mo Udall served in the House of Representatives, 

candidate for President; MARK UDALL’s uncle, Stewart Udall, 

was Secretary of Interior under President John Kennedy; 

Tom Udall, MARK’s cousin, the son of Stewart Udall, serves 

as Senator of New Mexico; MARK UDALL himself, what a 

great person. 

I can remember so many things about his public service, 

but I remembered, especially last night, when he lost his 

brother and came before our caucus lunch and talked about 

the love he had for that man and what that loss meant to 

him. It touched the heart of everyone in the room. It gave 

us an insight into the heart of MARK UDALL as a person. 

He was committed to a number of causes. His wife Maggie 

and he have given so much time to the environment and preserving our national heritage, but he also showed great courage when it came to his service on the Senate Intelligence 

Committee. Even as a new member of that committee, he 

[ 6 ] 

stepped up for principles and values, and I am glad he did, 

preserving our rights and liberties as American citizens and 

fully supporting the disclosure that Senator Feinstein made 

yesterday with her report. 

MARK has fought to protect Americans’ privacy rights with 

thoughtful reforms of the NSA and the PATRIOT Act. 

In keeping with his family’s tradition, he has made protecting our environment and our precious natural resources 

a top priority. He has been a leader in addressing climate 

change as a growing threat to our national security. He organized support in the Senate for legislation that would require 

15 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable 

sources by 2021. 

In the 2013 Defense Authorization Act, MARK UDALL led 

the effort to allow the Pentagon to continue to develop and 

use renewable energy. 

During his one term, MARK UDALL made more dauntless 

decisions and achieved more good for America than many 

Senators who have served far longer. 

He supported a recovery act that helped turn the tide 

against the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. He voted for the most far-reaching financial reform 

since the Great Depression and he supported one of the biggest investments in college affordability since the GI bill. 

Millions of Americans are back at work and millions of 

Americans know the security that comes with affordable 

health care, in part, because of his courage. 

The famed explorer Edmund Hillary once said, ‘‘Human 

life is far more important than just getting to the top of a 

mountain.’’ 

For MARK UDALL, being a U.S. Senator has been about 

something more important than acquiring power. It has been 

about using that power to preserve our precious natural 

treasures and make life better for others. 

Mo Udall would be proud of the U.S. Senator his son has 

become, and I am certainly proud to have worked with him. 

I have been in the Senate now for 18 years, and I have 

seen many come and go. But we have lost, sadly, in this departure of these Members some of our best. 

Mr. COONS. . . . As I close, I would also like to thank those 

of our colleagues who will be leaving the Senate after the 

New Year. 

It is an incredible privilege to work in this Chamber and 

to represent the people. Every day I am awed by the dedication and talent of many of my colleagues, public servants 

[ 7 ] 

who come to work to fight for their States and their government. 

To those who are ending their service in the Senate, know 

that I value your friendship and partnership. It has been an 

honor to work with you, and I thank you for all you have 

done for our Nation. 

ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT 

Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes 

to retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and 

that Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December 23, 2014. 

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

THURSDAY, December 11, 2014 

Mr. BENNET. Madam President, I wish to take a moment 

today to speak about my friend MARK UDALL, who is soon 

going to be finishing his term. MARK’s sister Doty describes 

him as an OK politician but an extraordinary public servant. 

I think it is fair to say that MARK could never reduce his role 

as a representative of the people of Colorado to just politics. 

It is not in his DNA. 

It is with a very heavy heart that I see him leave the Senate, because he is my friend. But it is especially sad at a 

time when MARK’s kind of leadership and constructive engagement is exactly what this place needs. 

‘‘Udall’’ is a name that is synonymous with the West, and 

MARK and the collective service of the Udall family have 

come to represent the very best of our Western way of life. 

They have embodied that pioneering and entrepreneurial 

spirit dating back to the days when Americans were building 

entirely new lives on the frontier. They have a historic love 

for the beauty and majesty of the West. They have spent lifetimes protecting it. 

Mo and Stu Udall, MARK’s uncle and father, both served 

our country during World War II. Stu was elected to serve 

the Second District of Arizona. When President Kennedy 

asked Stu to serve as the Secretary of Interior, Mo won Stu’s 

seat in Congress. 

Unlike his son MARK, Mo never ran for the Senate. He explained why. He said: 

[ 8 ] 

I told the Arizona Press Club with [Barry] Goldwater present that there 

were three reasons I was not running for the Senate: 1) I love the House. 

2) My wife and family are against it. 3) I have taken a poll and you are 

going to beat the hell out of me. 

Although he did run for President. The New Republic reported on that: 

The Arizona Congressman, Morris Udall liked to tell a story about a response he got at a barber shop in Maine: He looked in at the door and, 

meaning to introduce himself, said ‘‘Mo Udall, running for president.’’ 

‘‘Yeah,’’ the barber said, ‘‘we were just laughing about it this morning.’’ 

It is not hard to know where MARK acquired his selfdeprecating approach to the world, just as it is not hard to 

know where he inherited his commitment to civil rights, to 

conservation, and to good government. 

MARK has said it was during this time that his political 

views were formed. He himself went on to seek office. 

In 2008, when MARK was elected to represent Colorado in 

the Senate, his cousin Tom—Stu’s son—was elected to serve 

the State of New Mexico and is one of our colleagues today. 

MARK UDALL’s connection to the West and to public service 

comes from both sides of his family. Mo Udall, a man of 

many talents, met Patricia Emory, MARK’s mother, while 

playing baseball in Colorado. Patricia or ‘‘Sam’’ Udall was a 

sharpshooter, pilot, Peace Corps volunteer at the age of 56. 

She was a native Coloradan and the person MARK credits 

most for his passion for the outdoors, for backpacking, and 

climbing. 

Today in the 21st century we face a profound set of challenges and a dramatic test of our democratic institution. Can 

what MARK UDALL often calls this glorious experiment in 

self-government continue to thrive into the next century and 

beyond? 

MARK has carried on the tradition of his family by serving 

as a moral forward-pointing compass. Throughout his career 

he has defended personal freedom and liberty, and he has 

built a legacy of conservation and preservation. As a member 

of the Colorado General Assembly representing Longmont 

and parts of Boulder County, MARK toughened the laws 

against poaching big game as trophy animals. As a Member 

of the House of Representatives, he worked across the aisle 

to establish the Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge, cleaning up the 

former nuclear site and preserving 4,000 acres of wild land 

near Denver. He established the James Peak Wilderness 

Area, protecting 14,000 acres of some of our most scenic land 

in Gilpin and Grand Counties. He passed the Rocky MounVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:23 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91911.TXT KAYNE
[ 9 ] 

tain National Park Wilderness Act to designate nearly 

250,000 acres within the park as wilderness, including Longs 

Peak, which is actually a 14er that I have climbed. MARK

UDALL has climbed all of them in Colorado, every single 14er 

we have, because they are included in the tallest 100 mountains that we have, each one of which has been summitted 

by MARK UDALL. These are lands that will be protected long 

after any of our political careers are over and long after they 

remember who it was who protected those lands to begin 

with. But if anybody cares to check, they are going to know 

that it was MARK UDALL. 

MARK has been vocal, active, and effective in his fight 

against climate change and in his promotion of renewable 

energy. He was the statewide cochair of the successful 2004 

campaign to pass Colorado’s Amendment 37. This measure 

required Colorado’s power companies to generate most of 

their electricity from renewable sources. Colorado was the 

first State in the Union to take the issue to the voters. 

Amendment 37 passed. MARK UDALL was the driving force 

behind that effort. After his victory in the State, MARK took 

this issue to the House of Representatives. The House has 

twice passed the national renewable electricity standard 

championed by MARK. 

During his time in the Senate, he has continued to push 

for a national policy, and his doggedness in standing up for 

Colorado’s wind energy production saved thousands of goodpaying jobs across the State and ensured that we will continue to lead the Nation in developing our clean energy economy. 

The same is true for our ski areas, which have expanded 

recreation activities and summertime job opportunities 

thanks to a law MARK passed in this Senate. 

Colorado’s aerospace industry is thriving in part thanks to 

MARK UDALL. His work on space policy also dates back to his 

time in the House of Representatives as ranking member on 

the Space Subcommittee. MARK helped revitalize aeronautics 

and aviation research and development at NASA and ensured that the Hubble space telescope received service and 

funding. 

In the Senate, MARK helped lead the Colorado delegation 

opposition to a proposal that would have canceled the Orion 

Program, costing the State 1,000 jobs. The administration 

backed off. Last week, with a shuttle and rocket—both built 

by companies based in Colorado—NASA launched a successful test flight of the Orion vehicle. We will again carry astroVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:23 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91911.TXT KAYNE
[ 10 ] 

nauts into space, traveling deeper than ever before and eventually maybe even visit Mars. 

As everybody in this Chamber knows, MARK has been a 

staunch defender of the rights and freedoms we cherish as 

Westerners. As a member of the Senate Armed Services and 

Intelligence Committees, MARK fought every single day he 

was here to protect the security of the American people and 

the Bill of Rights. He has taken on NSA and CIA when they 

violated our constitutional values. 

In 2011 he worked on a classified level to pressure intelligence officials to dismantle a massive email collection program that affected American privacy. Administration officials were unable to provide evidence that the program was 

effective. It was shut down. It only became public information when the New York Times reported on it in July 2013. 

Well before Edward Snowden made headlines in 2013, 

MARK warned of the NSA’s overreach. In 2012, on this Senate floor, he warned the American people that they would be 

shocked to learn about what the NSA was doing in secret. 

He introduced landmark, bipartisan surveillance reform legislation with Senators Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, and 

Rand Paul. It became the basis for the USA FREEDOM Act, 

which received 58 votes just a few weeks ago. There was a 

time, before the relentless use of the filibuster, when a majority of votes in the Senate would have been enough to ensure passage of that bill. 

Earlier this week the Intelligence Committee released the 

executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s 

study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. Nobody in this place fought harder than MARK UDALL to shed 

light on these tactics. His goal from day one has been holding the CIA accountable, shedding light on this dark chapter 

of our history, and ensuring that neither the CIA nor any 

other agency or future administration would make the grievous mistakes that were made here. He accomplished his 

goals with respect to the process without leaking classified 

information but by applying pressure both politically and privately until the report was finally released. He has been effective because he has stood on consistent principle on every 

issue we have faced. 

He voted against the PATRIOT Act. He opposed the war 

in Iraq. He helped lead the fight to end ‘‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’’ 

MARK truly is the very best of what it means to be a public 

servant: independent, responsible, tough, focused on the future, and possessing an abiding can-do spirit. His calm presVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:23 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91911.TXT KAYNE
[ 11 ] 

ence, his unassuming nature, and his ability to see pure good 

in those around him are exactly what we so desperately need 

in our process today. 

Simply put, MARK UDALL has fought for Colorado families 

in the most constructive way possible—by pushing thoughtful commonsense solutions—but has never ever fought to 

achieve a partisan political fleece. 

When Colorado was struck with a series of natural disasters, from wildfires to floods, MARK was at his very best, 

standing up for our State and our families to lead the efforts 

to ensure that our communities had the support they needed 

to recover and better prepare for the threats we faced next. 

He has strengthened the way we respond to the growing 

threat of wildfire by emphasizing preservation efforts that 

will save lives, property, and tax dollars. We would expect 

nothing else from a man who has dedicated himself and his 

career to standing up for Colorado families, the middle class, 

and the values of the American West. 

As a Senator, a Representative, a State legislator, director 

of the Colorado Outward Bound School, MARK has been a 

model public servant. He has lived up to and exceeded the 

high standards his family has set for more than a century. 

Throughout all of his work, MARK has always fought against 

the dysfunction that persists in Washington. 

It is true, however, that MARK cannot take full credit for 

the work. His wife and partner Maggie Fox shares his commitment to leaving more opportunity for the next generation. 

She has worked as a teacher and community organizer on 

the Navajo and Hopi reservations of Arizona and New Mexico, and for the Colorado, North Carolina, and Northwest 

Outward Bound Schools. She has become a leading voice in 

many efforts to protect our land, our air, and our water. 

Their partnership is a genuine one. It has made MARK’s 

work possible. 

MARK’s staff has been among the finest, most professional, 

and most effective in the Senate. It has been a pleasure for 

me and for my staff to work alongside them on behalf of the 

people of Colorado. 

Over the past few years I have learned that really there 

are two broad categories of people in Washington: There are 

those who embrace and add to the dysfunction because it 

serves their ideological convictions or gives them an opportunity to star on the cable news or both. Then there are the 

people who are actually trying to save the place. They are 

[ 12 ] 

looking for areas of compromise to break the gridlock and to 

move us forward. 

MARK is one of the good ones, and I have no doubt he will 

continue to make profound contributions to Colorado and to 

our Nation in a variety of ways, but we are diminished by 

his loss. Every one of us, for the sake of this institution, 

would do well to live up to the example MARK UDALL has set. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico. 

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam President, I thank 

Senator Grassley for allowing me this time to talk about my 

cousin, MARK UDALL. First, let me say to Senator Bennet, I 

know that MARK feels he could not have had a better partner, a better friend, and someone to work with on Colorado 

issues and the great national issues than Senator Bennet. 

Senator Bennet spoke eloquently of MARK’s incredible 

record in public service. Two years in the Colorado Legislature, 10 years in the House of Representatives, and 6 years 

here in the U.S. Senate. I served with MARK in the House, 

and here in the Senate. He is not only my cousin. He is not 

only an extraordinary public servant. He has been a great 

ally, as we have worked on the issues together. 

MARK has been—and will continue to be—a champion, for 

the environment, for civil liberties, and for a government 

that is as open and good as the people we are privileged to 

represent. 

MARK has been a courageous and outspoken leader in the 

fight against climate change. He knows that global warming 

is not just a threat to our environment, but to our national 

security and our economy. He and I have worked on this 

issue throughout our time in public service, pushing to expand clean energy production and for commonsense steps to 

reduce pollution. He and I introduced, and got passed, a renewable electricity standard when we were both in the 

House to increase the use of renewable energy and create 

jobs across the country. When the Senate passes a similar 

RES, which I believe it eventually will, MARK you will share 

in that victory, for all your determination and hard work to 

make it happen. 

Our dads loved the land. They taught us to love it as well. 

MARK doesn’t just climb mountains. He protects them, so 

that generations to come will enjoy this legacy of natural 

treasures. Together we have fought for full funding for the 

[ 13 ] 

Land and Water Conservation Fund and for wilderness preservation. He has accomplished so much that will live on, long 

after we all are gone. 

MARK has also been a true leader on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He is 

absolutely fearless, and undaunted, in defense of our Nation, 

and in defense of our liberties. We both opposed the original 

PATRIOT Act, as well as its reauthorization. MARK has been 

eloquent and tenacious in warning of over-reaching surveillance, and secret interrogations. The Intelligence Committee 

released its study of the CIA’s secret program this week. No 

one fought harder to hold our government to account, in insisting that we must not only be secure, but we must honor 

the values that define us. We can and must do both. History 

will remember his invaluable role in making it possible for 

the American people to have this great and necessary debate. 

Madam President, my dad once said that, in the end, it is 

not the awards you receive, it is not the trophies in the garage, or the honors on the shelf, it is what the people who 

know you best really think of you. To those of us who know 

MARK—in our family, here in Washington, and in his beloved 

State of Colorado—he is the real deal. 

I remember when MARK’s dad, Mo, ran for President in 

1976. Mo lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter. In his concession speech, he recalled the words of Will Rogers, ‘‘Live 

your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead.’’ Mo went 

on to say: 

And I am ahead. I’m ahead in staff people who love me and believed in 

me. And I’m ahead because I have love, respect, and admiration for all of 

you in this room. 

That was true of Mo. It is equally true of MARK. In his 

years of public service, and in the years to come, that will 

always be said of MARK. Whatever the task, whatever the 

challenge, he meets it head on. In the Congress, and in his 

day-to-day life, he is practical, independent, and always generous of himself. 

MARK, wherever you go, wherever you are, win or lose, you 

are ahead—and we all are ahead whenever you are in the 

room. Or I might say whenever you are on the trail, or the 

mountainside. We find you out on the trail as likely as anywhere else. 

But, then, that has always been the case with MARK, and 

with all our family. If you are a Udall, you spend a lot of 

time outdoors, and gladly so. We never know when we will 

[ 14 ] 

run into each other. A number of years ago, I was hiking up 

a mountain in Argentina. All of a sudden, there on the trail 

at 16,000 feet, was MARK, coming back from the summit. So, 

I never know when I’m going to run into him, but Madam 

President, let me say, I am always glad when I do. 

MARK, for me, you have always set an example. You have 

always been true to the legacy of our family. I know that will 

never change, whatever your endeavors. So, to you, and 

Maggie, and Jed and Tess, Jill and I wish you all the best 

in this new chapter in your lives. 

MONDAY, December 15, 2014 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the famous English poet William 

Blake once said, ‘‘Great things are done when men and 

mountains meet.’’ There could be nothing more apt when 

talking about MARK UDALL than when we talk about men 

and mountains. He knows mountains. He has climbed nine 

Himalayan peaks. He has climbed Mount McKinley. He has 

climbed 99 of the highest summits in Colorado, and that is 

the place where we have the great Rockies. Those are big 

mountains. He once attempted to scale Mount Everest but 

was stopped by a severe storm. While we were waiting to finish our work on Saturday, someone told me they were hoping 

to go skiing on Sunday. 

I said, ‘‘Where are you going to go skiing?’’ 

‘‘I don’t know the name of the place.’’ 

‘‘How high is that place?’’ 

‘‘Eight hundred feet.’’ 

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains where I am from, and the 

Rockies, that is not a mountain. We have mountains in Colorado and Nevada. 

MARK UDALL once attempted to scale Mount Everest and 

was nearly there when one of the most violent storms came. 

Using good sense, he decided they shouldn’t do it, and it was 

the right thing to do. People die by saying they are stronger 

than nature. He understands his limitations, and his limitations are not very much. MARK is a tremendous athlete. He 

could do anything athletically. He has the genes of his dad, 

Morris Udall, whom I had the good fortune of serving with 

in the House of Representatives. Morris Udall is the only 

person to have played professional basketball being blind in 

one eye, couldn’t see, but he was able to adjust his perceptive 

[ 15 ] 

qualities with a basketball hoop to play professional basketball. 

We all felt MARK’s loss when his brother Randy was found 

dead in the place he loved more than anyplace else, the 

Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. That is where Randy 

loved to go. That is where MARK loves to go. People told 

Randy he shouldn’t go alone, but he went alone, and it appears maybe he had a heart attack while he was out there. 

They found him dead several weeks later in the mountains 

he loved. It was real tough for MARK, who looked up so much 

to his brother. MARK, though, has met many mountains and 

done many great things. 

He served in the House of Representatives where he was 

stellar. But it is the work in the Senate where his greatest 

feats have been accomplished. In 2013 there were storms in 

Colorado and there was catastrophic flooding. It was very 

bad. Lives were lost, homes washed away. The people of Colorado needed help, and MARK would not stop. He held up 

legislation until the people of Colorado got what they deserved. He helped secure nearly $1 billion in Federal assistance for the people of his State, money to rebuild homes, 

bridges, roads, and reestablish lives. 

While he dedicated himself to protecting the people of Colorado, he also was committed to safeguarding the constitutional rights of all Americans. Who has done more in exposing what has been going on with the invasion of people’s privacy? No one has done more than MARK. He has done this 

in a number of different ways. But as a member of the Intelligence Committee, his work sounded the alarm about the 

National Security Administration’s bulk data collection program. He fought to end the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, and together with Senator Feinstein has 

pushed to make public the committee’s study of the CIA’s 

torture program. 

People have said: Perhaps if MARK had not been so concerned about individual rights, about the bulk data collection, about the torture, maybe he would have been reelected. 

But that is not MARK UDALL. He comes from a family with 

a long tradition of public service, as I have indicated. His 

Uncle Stewart was Secretary of the Interior, after having 

served in Congress for many years representing the State of 

Arizona, as did his dad Mo Udall. Mo Udall was one of the 

most recognizable Congressmen in the entire 20th century, 

having run for President, and he had a sense of humor that 

was really quite remarkable. 

[ 16 ] 

Here in the Senate MARK has cousins. It has been interesting. During the last few years, we have had a lot of cousins: MARK, Tom, Mike Lee, Gordon Smith—all cousins, first 

cousins. How did that come about? MARK would, as he did 

just a day or two ago, look and kind of smile and say, ‘‘It 

could have been polygamy.’’ And it was. But they are a very 

close family. 

In spite of the closeness of Tom and MARK—two brothers 

could not be closer than these two men. They climb mountains together. I have talked to them about putting on 

crampons, these spikes you put on your shoes to climb the 

ice. These are adventurers. 

So we are going to miss MARK. But he has forged his own 

path and his own legacy. 

Now, as his time in the Senate draws to a close, he will 

carry that legacy to other endeavors. 

I wish MARK all the best. It has been such a privilege to 

serve with him. He will be deeply missed. 

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, for nearly 20 years in Congress, MARK UDALL has represented the people of Colorado 

with commitment and courage. He is a dedicated public servant, whose drive and responsibility to the people of Colorado 

will not wane with his retirement. 

An experienced mountaineer and proud environmentalist, 

Senator UDALL has spent weekends exploring and enjoying 

the great outdoors, and his weekdays protecting them. He 

has authored legislation to create wildlife refuges and preserve wilderness in Colorado. He is also a leader in renewable energy, helping his home State adopt a renewable electricity standard and working to bring a similar innovation to 

the national stage. 

Senator UDALL has worked hard to bridge the partisan divide during a period of unprecedented polarization. Many of 

the bills he has authored have enjoyed wide bipartisan support, including proposals to reauthorize NASA and to protect 

public lands. He was one of the Senate’s newest Members 

when he successfully called on Republicans and Democrats 

to sit together in a show of national unity at the 2011 State 

of the Union, following the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ. 

Senator UDALL has been a tireless advocate for the protection of civil liberties. His work on the Senate Intelligence 

Committee has been focused on protecting the privacy and 

civil liberties of all Americans, a commitment that I strongly 

share. His departure will be a loss to the work of the Intelligence Committee. 

[ 17 ] 

MARK UDALL comes from a family with an uncommon history of public service. Though Senator UDALL is retiring from 

the Senate, I know this service will continue. I wish him, his 

wife Maggie, their children and their entire family all best 

wishes as they begin their next chapter. 

TUESDAY, December 16, 2014 

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final 

days of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect 

on the past and to look toward the future. I have been very 

moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our departing 

Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute to each one 

of them. They have all been wonderful colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know every one of them. 

I wish them all the very best in all their future endeavors. 

They will most certainly be missed. . . . 

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I 

wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will 

not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to 

run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection 

campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in 

order of seniority. . . . 

Mr. President, Senator MARK UDALL’s family has served 

the United States for decades. His cousin Tom has served 

beside him in the Senate for the past 6 years. His father 

Morris ‘‘Mo’’ Udall was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and also ran for President. His 

Uncle Stewart served as Interior Secretary under Presidents 

John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s. 

Before being elected to the Senate in 2008, MARK served 

in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Colorado State 

Legislature. Through his position on the Energy and Natural 

Resources Committee, MARK has continued his family’s commitment to our public lands and resources, chairing the National Parks Subcommittee. 

Senator UDALL has also worked hard to help the U.S. Government get its fiscal house in order, pushing his colleagues 

to make tough choices today to help create a better tomorrow. As a member of the Armed Services and Select Intelligence Committees, MARK has advocated for more transparent detention and drone policies and pushed to make pubVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:23 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91911.TXT KAYNE
[ 18 ] 

lic the ‘‘Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s 

Detention and Interrogation Program.’’ . . . 

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment 

to thank my friend and colleague Senator MARK UDALL for 

his dedicated service to the people of Colorado and our Nation. 

As many of my colleagues are aware, long before Senator 

UDALL was climbing the steps to Capitol Hill he was hiking 

the mountains of Colorado as a course director and educator 

with Outward Bound, an organization he would eventually 

lead as executive director. However, as a member of the 

Udall family, headed by his father Congressman Morris ‘‘Mo’’ 

Udall, who served in the House of Representatives for 30 

years, elected office was never far from Senator UDALL’s 

mind. After 20 years with Outward Bound, Senator UDALL

left to pursue a career in public service. 

After serving a term in the Colorado State Legislature, 

Senator UDALL ran successfully to represent Colorado’s Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives, 

a seat he held for five consecutive terms. When we arrived 

at the Senate in 2008, Senator UDALL and I found common 

cause in our work on both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources. Senator UDALL’s commitment to working across 

the aisle to confront the difficult issues facing our Nation 

was appreciated by many in the Senate, and I know his presence will be missed. 

I wish the very best to Senator UDALL and thank him for 

his service. 

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I would like to say a few 

words about my colleague, Senator MARK UDALL of Colorado, 

who will be ending his 6-year tenure in the Senate at the 

end of this Congress. 

Senator UDALL has served in public office for 18 years, 

serving in the Colorado House of Representatives for 2 years 

before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, 

where he served for 10 years. He was elected in 2008 to the 

Senate. 

For MARK, public service is a family affair. His father, Arizona Representative Mo Udall, served in Congress for 30 

years. His father ran for the U.S. Presidency. His uncle, 

Stewart Udall, served as President Kennedy’s Secretary of 

the Interior. And his cousin, Tom Udall, serves as one of 

New Mexico’s U.S. Senators. 

[ 19 ] 

This legacy, coupled with MARK’s love of the outdoors, give 

him a unique perspective on public service. Before running 

for office, MARK worked as an educator and executive director of the Colorado Outward Bound School. As an avid mountaineer and educator, MARK understands the value of America’s open spaces, smart policies for conservation and economic growth, and finding practical solutions to our shared 

challenges. 

MARK UDALL is a champion for the environment. His efforts to support progressive renewable energy policies as a 

State legislator and Member of Congress have helped Colorado become a frontrunner in clean, sustainable energy to 

prepare for a more sustainable future. He has also fought 

hard to expand the National Park Service, saying the Earth 

is borrowed from our children, not inherited from our parents, and that we must work to preserve these public lands 

to ensure their existence for future generations. 

I have had the privilege of serving with MARK in the 

House and on the Senate Armed Services Committee to support the men and women who defend our country. We have 

worked together to focus on making our military more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. 

MARK has climbed some of the most daunting peaks in the 

world. The kind of self-reliance and focus required to meet 

those kinds of challenges mark his work in public service. 

His decency and integrity in fighting for the middle class, for 

our environment, for transparency in government, inspire us 

to continue his work. 

It has been a privilege to serve with MARK. 

Aloha MARK and Maggie and a hui hou, ‘‘until we meet 

again.’’ 

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to celebrate and thank 

the 13 outgoing Senators who have worked tirelessly to represent their home States in the Senate: Senator Mark 

Begich, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator Tom Coburn, 

Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike 

Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu, 

Senator Carl Levin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Senator MARK UDALL, and Senator John Walsh. 

I have worked side by side with these men and women for 

years—some for decades—and witnessed first hand their extraordinary commitment to public service and to the people 

they so proudly represent. 

[ 20 ] 

Even when we didn’t see eye to eye on every issue, I always deeply respected and admired their service to our Nation and their dedication to fight for what they believe in. 

It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and every 

one of these extraordinary colleagues. I will miss their leadership and their friendship, and I wish them all the best as 

they embark on the next chapter. 

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015 

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I wish to express my 

gratitude to a dear colleague and friend who has been a 

champion for our national parks and for preserving the natural splendor of our Western lands: Senator MARK UDALL. 

Just as the Great Lakes are part of my DNA, the Rocky 

Mountains are part of Senator UDALL’s. He likes to quote the 

saying that we did not inherit this Earth from our parents 

but that we are borrowing it from our children—and that is 

the perspective that has guided him as chair of the Senate 

National Parks Subcommittee. 

He has worked to expand national parks and to revitalize 

our natural resources. Recognizing that our dependence on 

fossil fuels poses a threat to our land, water, and wildlife, 

Senator UDALL has been a leader in pushing for investments 

in renewable energy. I know how proud he was that Colorado was the first State to pass a voter-approved renewable 

energy policy. A key to making it happen was Senator UDALL

teaming up in a bipartisan way with the Speaker of the Colorado House. 

When Colorado was struck by floods, forest fires, and beetle infestations, Senator UDALL fought to make sure the 

State had the Federal resources to contain the damage and 

aid the recovery. 

We learn a lot about our leaders during a time of crisis, 

and time and again, Senator UDALL has proven the strength 

of his character and his convictions. 

In the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora, CO, Senator 

UDALL threw his support behind a ban on combat weapons, 

as well as an amendment to expand background searches for 

gun purchases. It was a bold position to take politically, but 

the Udall family has a long tradition of taking bold positions 

whose wisdom is borne out by history: His grandfather 

issued a court decision that recognized Native Americans’ 

right to vote; his uncle challenged discrimination by WashVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:23 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91911.TXT KAYNE
[ 21 ] 

ington’s football team; and his father helped integrate the 

University of Arizona. 

It is fitting that in Senator UDALL’s last full week with the 

Senate he gave a stirring speech on the floor, demanding 

transparency in the way that our Nation treats suspected 

terrorists. Senator UDALL has also been one of the Senate’s 

most vocal advocates for civil liberties, arguing passionately 

that our government’s conduct must always respect both our 

values and the Constitution. 

Personally, I have had the honor of working alongside Senator UDALL as cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Parkinson’s Disease, teaming up on behalf of the National MS 

and Parkinson’s Disease Registries Act. This past month we 

joined forces on an amendment that ensures women in the 

military will have access to quality health services, with a 

specific focus on maternity and preventive care. 

I will miss our talks and our collaborations. But leaving 

the Senate will allow Senator UDALL to become an even 

more avid outdoorsman. While he has already climbed Mt. 

Everest and the 100 tallest peaks in his home State of Colorado, I have no doubt that he will soon conquer new and exciting challenges in the great outdoors. 

From listening to his farewell address, it is already apparent to me that Senator UDALL has achieved a clarity that 

will serve him forever after. ‘‘As a lifelong mountain climber,’’ he said, ‘‘I have learned far more from the mountains I 

did not summit, than those I did.’’ 

I know I speak for many of us here when I say that I have 

learned a great deal from Senator UDALL, and I thank him 

for serving Colorado and our Nation in the U.S. Senate—and 

for being a great friend. Happy trails, Senator. 

Æ