Carl Levin 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Carl Levin 

Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office 


91908.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2015

S. DOC. 113–34 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Carl Levin 

United States Senator 

1979–2015 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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

Farewell Address ...................................................................................... xi 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee ............................................... 28 

Ayotte, Kelly, of New Hampshire ............................................. 35 

Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado ................................................ 17 

Boxer, Barbara, of California .................................................... 42 

Brown, Sherrod, of Ohio ............................................................ 27 

Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland ............................................ 26 

Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania ..................................... 37 

Collins, Susan M., of Maine ...................................................... 18 

Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware ......................................... 15 

Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois ................................................... 12 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................................... 16 

Franken, Al, of Minnesota ......................................................... 30 

Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina ........................................ 36 

Harkin, Tom, of Iowa ................................................................. 29 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ......................................................... 7, 34, 40 

Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii ...................................................... 41 

Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma ............................................ 11, 29, 36 

King, Angus S., Jr., of Maine .................................................... 31, 33 

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 17, 38 

Levin, Carl, of Michigan ........................................................ 12, 33, 35 

Manchin, Joe, III, of West Virginia .......................................... 25 

McCain, John, of Arizona .......................................................... 8 

McCaskill, Claire, of Missouri ................................................... 22 

Merkley, Jeff, of Oregon ............................................................ 28 

Nelson, Bill, of Florida ............................................................... 24 

Portman, Rob, of Ohio ............................................................... 33 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 7, 12 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 3 

Sanders, Bernard, of Vermont .................................................. 30 

Schumer, Charles E., of New York ........................................... 33 

Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama ......................................................... 23 

Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire ...................................... 40 

Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan ................................................. 19 

Wyden, Ron, of Oregon .............................................................. 36 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

In an editorial about CARL LEVIN, the Detroit News wrote, 

‘‘He has been above reproach personally and has stuck to his 

principles, even when they were unpopular. Principled leadership, no matter what political ideology it comes from, is 

sorely needed in Washington.’’ 

Time magazine named CARL LEVIN one of ‘‘America’s 10 

Best Senators,’’ noting that ‘‘the Michigan Democrat has 

gained respect from both parties for his attention to detail 

and deep knowledge of policy.’’ 

CARL LEVIN worked to strengthen Michigan’s industrial 

economy. Senator LEVIN proposed the American Manufacturing Initiative to ensure that our government aggressively 

fought for manufacturing in America so our manufacturers 

and workers could compete globally on a level playing field. 

As a cochair of the Senate Auto Caucus and the Senate 

Auto Parts Task Force, Senator LEVIN was one of the most 

insistent voices in Washington calling for strong action to 

open the world’s markets to American goods. Senator LEVIN

was a longtime advocate of programs that provide for joint 

government-industry partnerships in development of advanced vehicle technologies. These efforts led to the growth 

of the Army’s National Automotive Center in Warren, MI, 

which has played an important role in developing advanced 

technologies for military use, often in conjunction with the 

private sector. 

As cochair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, CARL

LEVIN fought to protect the environmental treasures of ‘‘the 

Great Lakes State,’’ an irreplaceable natural resource for 

Michigan and the country. In 1990, Senator LEVIN authored 

the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act to create new standards of environmental protection for Great Lakes waters. 

Senator LEVIN also helped win passage of the Great Lakes 

Legacy Program in 2002 to clean up contaminated sediments, and he worked to secure funding to deal with foreign 

aquatic invasive species including zebra mussels, milfoil and 

Asian carp. A strong advocate for the creation of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, CARL LEVIN obtained 

significant funding for it and introduced legislation in 2009 

[ vi ] 

to expand the boundaries of the sanctuary to more than 

eight times its current size. The expansion would help preserve ‘‘Shipwreck Alley’’ for divers and historians, where dozens of ships sank in the waters of Lake Huron. 

CARL LEVIN was the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he earned a reputation as a strong 

supporter of our national defense, a tireless advocate on behalf of our service men and women, and an effective fighter 

against wasteful government spending. 

Senator LEVIN championed efforts to reduce the threats to 

our Nation and the world from the proliferation of weapons 

of mass destruction and the threats posed by terrorism. He 

supported the efforts of the military services to transform 

their forces, technology, and tactics to meet these threats. He 

was an active supporter of improving U.S. security by cooperative threat reduction, including arms control agreements 

that reduce weapons of mass destruction, and fought for efforts designed to reduce the threat of proliferation of nuclear, 

chemical, and biological weapons. 

Senator LEVIN opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 

and authored several bipartisan proposals aimed at changing 

U.S. policy in Iraq. While Americans have differing opinions 

about our policy in Iraq, there is broad support of our brave 

men and women in uniform. Senator LEVIN spearheaded the 

successful effort to pass the Dignified Treatment of Wounded 

Warriors Act, a historic reform to improve the way we provide medical care and ongoing support for our troops and our 

veterans, enacted in early 2008. 

In 2007, Senator LEVIN pushed to secure passage of the 

Acquisition Improvement and Accountability Act, the most 

far-reaching acquisition reform measure approved by Congress in more than a decade. The act requires, for the first 

time, that private security contractors working in a war zone 

must comply with Defense Department regulations and directives issued by our military commanders. The act also establishes a new acquisition workforce fund to hire the employees needed to manage defense contracts properly. These 

provisions will go a long way toward addressing contracting 

waste, fraud, and abuse. 

In 2009, Senator LEVIN secured passage of the LevinMcCain Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act, to fix 

major problems with the way the Department of Defense 

buys major weapons systems. The act establishes a new, 

independent director of cost assessment to ensure that senior 

Pentagon managers have unbiased data to analyze project 

[ vii ] 

costs and cost projections. It also includes strengthening assessments of technologies that are under development and 

requiring the Department of Defense to conduct preliminary 

design reviews in advance of approving new acquisition programs. 

The Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute awarded 

Senator CARL LEVIN its 2007 Four Freedoms Medal for his 

bipartisan efforts to reassert the role of the U.S. Senate in 

critical issues of foreign and military policy and for his longtime service to the country. The award recognizes CARL

LEVIN as: 

a leader dedicated to making government more effective, who holds himself and his colleagues to high ethical standards and insists that these same 

standards must apply to all facets of our society, both public and private; 

a leader whose efforts to strengthen America’s armed forces have helped 

make the United States Military the finest fighting force in the world. 

The National Guard Association of the United States presented Senator LEVIN with its 2004 ‘‘Harry S. Truman 

Award’’ for distinguished service in support of national defense. The award cited LEVIN’s ‘‘long-standing, diligent and 

impassioned commitment on the readiness, morale and welfare of our military forces, their families and the modernization of our armed forces’’ that has had an ‘‘unparalleled and 

direct positive impact to the defense capabilities of the National Guard.’’ In January 2003, the Secretary of the Navy 

cited LEVIN’s ‘‘exceptional service to the Navy and Marine 

Corps’’ in presenting him its ‘‘Distinguished Public Service 

Award,’’ the highest award given to a civilian. 

In July 2007, the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, 

presented Senator LEVIN with the Commander’s Cross with 

the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. Instituted by Parliament in 1974, the award is conferred on 

foreigners and Polish residents abroad for service rendered 

to Poland. 

As chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the premier investigating subcommittee in the Senate, 

Senator LEVIN focused on issues that impact the wallets of 

most Americans, including Wall Street and the financial crisis, unfair credit card practices, and sky-high oil and natural 

gas prices. 

In April 2010, Senator LEVIN chaired four hearings looking 

at the causes and consequences of the financial crisis. The 

final hearing examined the role investment banks, specifically Goldman Sachs, played in causing the financial crisis. 

The hearings informed the debate on financial reform legisVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ viii ] 

lation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. 

CARL LEVIN chaired numerous hearings delving into abusive credit card industry practices that help keep families 

mired in debt. The effort culminated in the 2009 enactment 

of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act or Credit CARD Act, which bans unfair practices by 

credit card companies including preventing credit card companies from retroactively raising interest rates on people 

who play by the rules, forcing banks to restore a lower interest rate for late payers who make 6 months of ontime payments, and prohibiting the charging of interest on debt that 

is paid on time. 

Another recent investigation found that excessive speculation in oil and natural gas markets resulted in higher prices 

for consumers. Senator LEVIN introduced the ‘‘Close the 

Enron Loophole Act’’ to put a cop on the beat to police prices 

in U.S. energy markets that, due to Enron and others, are 

now largely unregulated. Senator LEVIN’s leadership enabled 

Senate passage of an amendment in late 2007 to close the 

Enron loophole and its enactment into law in May 2008. 

In 2002, CARL LEVIN led Congress’ most indepth examination into the collapse of Enron. His investigation exposed 

how Enron used deceptive accounting and tax transactions to 

report better financial results than the company actually experienced. The subcommittee’s investigative work contributed to the accounting and corporate reforms enacted in the 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act in July 2002. In 2002, LEVIN began a 3- 

year investigation into the mass marketing of abusive tax 

shelters by KPMG and other professional firms, which was 

cited by the Washington Post as ‘‘a path-breaking inquiry . . . 

that served as a road map for prosecutors.’’ CARL LEVIN’s bipartisan bill to end the use of tax havens will end some of 

the worst abuses of our tax laws by companies and individuals who avoid paying their U.S. taxes by using places such 

as the Cayman Islands to create sham transactions and shell 

corporations. 

Under CARL LEVIN’s leadership, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations conducted a comprehensive 

money laundering investigation, which led to the enactment 

of legislation to detect and stop money laundering and terrorist financing. 

Senator LEVIN was also a member of the Small Business 

and Entrepreneurship Committee and an ex officio member 

of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 

[ ix ] 

CARL LEVIN worked to expand educational opportunities 

for all Americans so our Nation could remain strong and productive. He fought for increased funding for the Head Start 

Preschool Program, Title I for educationally disadvantaged 

students, and Pell grants and loans for college and vocational school students. Senator LEVIN was a strong advocate 

for the effective use of technology in K–12 schools and helped 

create the Consortium for Outstanding Achievement in 

Teaching with Technology, a groundbreaking Michigan partnership helping teachers master technology skills. He was an 

enthusiastic supporter of school to work programs, which 

have created a public-private partnership to prepare students for the demands of the modern workplace. He won critical Federal support for the Focus: HOPE Center for Advanced Technology, a world-class manufacturing training facility in Detroit. 

Addiction to illegal drugs continues to plague our society. 

Senator LEVIN authored a provision in the Drug Abuse and 

Treatment Act of 2000 to enable qualified physicians to prescribe and dispense from their private offices—rather than 

centralized clinics—revolutionary, new antiaddiction medications such as buprenorphine that suppress the craving for 

heroin. 

CARL LEVIN was born in 1934 in Detroit, where he graduated from Central High School. In 1956, he graduated with 

honors from Swarthmore College and graduated from Harvard University Law School in 1959. He practiced and 

taught law in Michigan until 1964 when he was appointed 

an assistant attorney general of Michigan and the first general counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. He 

then helped establish the Detroit Public Defender’s Office 

and led the appellate division of that office, which has become the State Appellate Defender’s Office. 

He won election to the Detroit City Council in 1969, becoming its president in 1973 by winning the most votes citywide. In 1978, he won an upset victory over the number two 

Republican in the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 1984, 

1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008. 

CARL LEVIN married Barbara Halpern in 1961. They have 

three daughters: Kate, Laura, and Erica, and six grandchildren. His brother Sander has served in the U.S. House 

of Representatives since 1983. 

[ xi ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Friday, December 12, 2014 

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, after 36 years as a Member of 

the U.S. Senate, this is likely my last opportunity to address 

its Members as colleagues, and to address the people of my 

State as constituents, and to thank them for placing their 

trust in me. 

The highest honor any citizen of a democracy can receive 

is to be elected to represent his or her fellow Americans to 

be their fiduciary. 

To the Senate staff, including the floor staff, the Capitol 

Police, and those throughout the Capitol complex who work 

so hard to keep things here moving, thank you for your service and support for us through the long days and nights. 

To my staff, thank you for your strong loyalty to the people 

of Michigan, to our Nation, and to me. Thank you for believing in public service. I am immensely proud of what the men 

and women who have worked on my staff for the last 36 

years have helped to accomplish. 

My staff back in Michigan has helped make communities 

across our State safer and more prosperous. Countless times 

they have helped individual constituents resolve an issue, 

making a real difference in thousands of lives. 

The Armed Services Committee and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations—PSI—staffs have worked tirelessly through long hours and complex issues, sacrificing 

nights and weekends and vacations to help address the 

pressing issues of our Nation. 

My personal office staff has been instrumental in addressing a breathtaking range of issues—from preserving our 

American auto industry, to making our tax system fairer, to 

protecting our irreplaceable Great Lakes, to making medicine available to fight addiction, and much more. 

As to my mentor, my big brother Sandy, Congress is keeping the better half of ‘‘Team Levin,’’ as I retire to Michigan 

while Sandy remains in Congress. 

To Barbara, my wife of 53 years, to our three daughters 

Kate, Laura, and Erica; to their husbands Howard, Daniel, 

[ xii ] 

and Rick; and to our six grandchildren, Bess and Samantha, 

Mark, Noa, and Ben Levin, and Beatrice and Olivia 

Fernandez—thank you for your love and support, which has 

meant so much to me. 

I have been asked many times if I am leaving the Senate 

out of frustration with gridlock. The answer is: No. My family and friends, and those of you with whom I serve, know 

how much I love the Senate and that I will love my work 

until the last day here, and that I will leave here with unabashed confidence in the Senate’s ability to weather storms 

and to meet the Nation’s needs. 

I know first hand the challenges before this Senate. I believe one of the greatest is the need to meet the fundamental 

economic challenge of this era: the growing gap in our society 

between a fortunate few and the vast majority of Americans 

whose fortunes have stagnated or fallen. 

While I believe that the economists who tell us this inequality is holding back economic growth are right, this isn’t 

just about economic data. It is about our Nation’s heart and 

soul. This growing gulf between a fortunate few and a struggling many is a threat to the dream that has animated this 

Nation since its founding, the dream that hard work leads 

to a better life for us and for our children. 

To restore the connection between hard work and greater 

opportunity, I hope the next Congress will act on many 

fronts, strengthening education and worker training programs, making greater investments in infrastructure and research that foster growth. As I have said here many times, 

it should pay for these needed investments by closing egregious tax loopholes that serve no economic purpose, but enrich some of the wealthiest among us and our most profitable 

corporations. 

Many foresee a continuation of polarization and partisanship in the Senate and say it is naive to suggest that the 

next Congress might come together, break out of gridlock, 

and accomplish great things. But I know the Senate can do 

better because I have seen it happen with my own eyes. 

The Senate has indeed demonstrated, even in our own era, 

that bipartisanship is not extinct. The Senate Armed Services Committee has upheld a more than 50-year tradition of 

bipartisan cooperation to produce an annual Defense Authorization Act that advances the security of our Nation. I am 

grateful to the members of the U.S. military and their families for their selfless sense of duty. I am also grateful for the 

way they have inspired us, year after year, to come together 

[ xiii ] 

across lines of party and ideology to support them. They not 

only protect us, they unite us. Congress has come together 

over the years to make improvements in pay, benefits, and 

health care for the men and women of the military; to reform 

the way in which we buy the weapons they use to carry out 

their missions; to adopt policies to protect them from sexual 

assault; and to provide improved education benefits through 

a modern GI bill and reform the way in which we care for 

our wounded warriors. We are training and equipping the 

militaries of nations under assault by extremists and religious fanatics so that those nations can depend more on 

themselves for their own security and less on America’s sons 

and daughters. 

We have passed a defense authorization bill to accomplish 

these things each year for more than half a century by laying aside partisan differences for the common good. We have 

never allowed disagreements over policy to interfere with our 

duty to our troops and their families, and I am deeply grateful to the many ranking Republican partners I have been fortunate to work with in that endeavor: people such as John 

McCain and John Warner and Jim Inhofe. 

John McCain, my great friend, who has demonstrated extraordinary courage in war and in this Senate, will take the 

gavel of the Armed Services Committee, and my trusted 

wingman and friend Jack Reed will become ranking member. 

At a pivotal moment for the Senate and for this Nation, the 

Armed Services Committee will be in strong hands. 

I have seen first hand additional powerful evidence that 

the Senate can work together to meet the Nation’s needs, 

and that is in the work of the Permanent Subcommittee on 

Investigations—PSI—which I have been privileged to chair 

for 10 years, working with Republican partners—and I use 

the word partners advisedly—such as Tom Coburn, John 

McCain, and Susan Collins. Our subcommittee has exposed 

the tax avoidance schemes of some of the most powerful corporations and wealthiest individuals. We have shined a light 

on abusive credit card practices. We have investigated wasteful and ineffective government programs. We have confronted market manipulators and exposed conflicts of interest, mortgage fraud, and reckless schemes by some of the 

most powerful banks, schemes aided by some of the largest 

accounting and law firms. We have demonstrated how those 

activities helped bring our economy to its knees, destroying 

jobs, reducing the value of our homes, and damaging our 

neighborhoods. The work of PSI has helped lead to reforms 

[ xiv ] 

that have strengthened our financial system and reduced 

credit card abuses. 

The power of PSI lies in the indepth work of our staffs, 

and in the willingness to confront powerful and entrenched 

interests. Like the Senate Armed Services Committee, PSI is 

strengthened by a dedication to bipartisanship and a respect 

for the rights of the Senate minority. We have recognized the 

danger of using investigative power for partisan or political 

purposes, and we have ensured that our great staffs, majority and minority, participate together in every investigation. 

Indeed it is protection of the minority that is the singular 

hallmark of the Senate. The majority cannot always have its 

way. The Senate is more than just a place where the hot tea 

is cooled in the deliberative saucer that President Washington famously spoke of. Protections for the minority make 

the Senate more than just a place to slow things down; those 

protections make it a place where we work things out. It is 

those protections that force compromise that is essential to 

unifying and governing our country. Making progress in the 

Senate requires solutions that while they may not provide 

everyone with everything they want, are broadly accepted as 

in the common interest. When compromise is thwarted by 

ideological rigidity or by abuse of the rights that our rules 

afford us, the Senate can become paralyzed, unable to 

achieve the lofty task that the Founders set forth before us. 

Polarization is exacerbated by forces outside this Chamber. 

For instance, we seem to make news more often these days 

by our responses in the corridors outside this Chamber to reporters questioning us about the latest breaking story or 

rumor than we do by debating or legislating inside this 

Chamber. The viral nature of information and disinformation 

and the expectation that public officials will be immediately 

responsive to every news flash with but a few seconds to 

think through the implications or consequences or pros and 

cons has led too often to less thoughtful discourse, and that 

has helped drive rhetorical wedges between us. 

The incoming Senate has an opportunity to restore a 

greater measure of bipartisan compromise by revisiting one 

of the most contentious issues we face, one that we struggled 

with at the beginning of this Congress; that is, the Senate 

rules. 

I believe the excessive use of the filibuster to obstruct confirmation of President Obama’s nominees was damaging to 

the Senate and to the Nation. Any President—Democratic or 

Republican—should have the ability to choose his or her 

[ xv ] 

team. But the Senate majority eliminated obstructions to 

Presidential nominations through the use of the nuclear option, effectively accomplishing a rules change outside the 

rules, a method I could not support. In doing so, a precedent 

was established that the majority could effectively change 

the rules as it wished by overruling the Chair and the Parliamentarian. That precedent will not serve the country well 

in the future because it leaves the minority with no protection, diminishing the unique role of the Senate. 

I hope the Senate next year considers reversing that precedent while simultaneously—and I emphasize simultaneously—amending the rules so as to assure the President’s 

ability to fulfill his or her constitutional duties. Put simply, 

I believe the Senate should do the right thing in the right 

way. It should amend the Senate rules, as provided for in 

the rules, to adopt the substance of the changes we made 

last year. I know my good friend Senator Lamar Alexander, 

who was part of the bipartisan Group of Eight who worked 

closely and successfully together on this issue in 2012, has 

proposed something similar. Such action by the Senate next 

year would be a welcome victory for comity and for compromise, and it would I hope represent a step back from a 

precedent that leads to effective rules changes by simple majority. It would be a step toward a better functioning Senate. 

No leader alone, no single Senator, neither party by itself, 

can determine the Senate’s course, but together the Members 

of this body can move the Senate forward and in doing so 

help move forward the Nation we all love. I will enjoy reading about the Senate’s progress in the years ahead as Barbara and I are sitting on a Lake Michigan beach or showing 

the world to our grandchildren. 

I thank the Chair, I thank my dear friends, the leaders of 

this body, and I see my brother sitting here, and I am not 

allowed to refer to my family in the gallery, so I will not do 

that. 

(Applause, Senators rising.) 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

CARL LEVIN 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

MONDAY, December 8, 2014 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am very happy to be here 

today to talk about a couple of my friends—I should say the 

Senate’s friends. I have received a lot of gifts while I have 

been here. My colleagues, over the years, have given me 

things here in the Senate, but one gift stands out really 

strongly in my mind. On my desk, not far from here, I have 

this big painting—it is a very famous painting from the National Portrait Gallery of Mark Twain. 

Mark Twain, I tell people, was born in Nevada, which is 

really true. Samuel Clemens wasn’t, but Mark Twain was. 

Orion Clemens was chosen as the Territorial Secretary of 

Nevada, and he told his younger brother Samuel: Come West 

and I will find you a job. Samuel had been fighting, which 

he didn’t like, in the Civil War, so he came West to join his 

brother. But his brother couldn’t find him a job, so Samuel 

Clemens bummed around for quite a while. 

Without belaboring the story too long, the fact is, Mark 

Twain finally went up to Virginia City, which was booming 

at the time, and he went to the Territorial Enterprise newspaper and got a job as a reporter. This was a stunningly 

good and important start for his first writing that he had 

done. That is where he started his fame. 

He would have stayed in Nevada longer, but someone challenged him to a duel for some of the things he wrote. So 

being the smart man he was, he didn’t want to duel so he 

left town, went to California, where he wrote two best-selling 

books, ‘‘The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’’ 

and ‘‘Roughing It,’’ which was about his experience in bumming around Nevada until he found a job. These were bestsellers. These were great books. 

The point of the story, though, is he went to Virginia City 

as Samuel Clemens and took the name Mark Twain. That is 

where the name came from. 

This means a lot. It is a story I tell many times to people 

who come to my office. So CARL LEVIN, the wonderful, kind, 

[ 4 ] 

thoughtful man that he is, said, ‘‘Can I come and see you?’’ 

I said, ‘‘Sure.’’ He brought to me, I guess it is, one of the rare 

double signatures of Samuel Clemens. There may be others, 

I just have never heard of one. This was done at a club in 

Hannibal, MO. The club’s name was Labinnah—Hannibal 

spelled backward—and Mark Twain, in 1902, because of how 

famous he was, signed Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain, and 

wrote through the whole—he didn’t want anybody else’s 

name there. He wanted just his. So that is the gift he gave 

me. 

That was so fitting. It fits my office perfectly, and it means 

a lot to me. CARL LEVIN brought with him this handwritten 

note: ‘‘I got this at an auction 10 yrs. ago not knowing why. 

It just dawned on me! Best in the New Year, CARL.’’ 

That was so nice of him to do that, and it is so hard to 

explain my appreciation, although I am trying to do that 

here by outlining what a wonderful human being CARL

LEVIN is. What he did for me is an example of who CARL

LEVIN is and how he thinks of people. He remembered the 

story I told him about Mark Twain, and he said, I am sure, 

to himself: I have this thing I got 10 years ago; I will give 

it to the Senator, my friend. So he gave me that plaque just 

because that is who he is. 

He has always been attentive to the interests of the people 

of Michigan and our country. He is the longest serving Senator in the history of the State of Michigan—36 years. His 

legislative accomplishments are significant. I would say they 

are unmatched by almost anyone. 

CARL LEVIN has stood his ground on controversial issues, 

and that is an understatement. He has fought to give average Americans a fair shot at what is going on in the world. 

He has always spoken with a clear voice, speaking for justice, equality, and fairness. 

(Mr. MURPHY assumed the Chair.) 

The Presiding Officer is a lawyer, I am a lawyer, but I am 

not sure I would be the best person, if you gave me a document, to look it over and make sure there was everything in 

that document you wanted in it, but CARL LEVIN is the person you want. I call him my nitpicker. He is so good at making sure everything is right; that every i is dotted, every t 

is crossed. Bring in CARL LEVIN if you have something and 

you really need someone to look at it and think it through. 

CARL was a prominent lawyer, as was his dad, in Michigan. His dad served as a member of the Michigan Corrections Commission. After graduating from high school, his faVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 5 ] 

ther worked as an assemblyline worker. CARL LEVIN also 

knew how to work with his hands, but he followed in his father’s footsteps by being an extremely hard worker. He attended college at Swarthmore and received a bachelor of arts 

degree there. Then he attended Harvard Law School and received his juris doctorate from Harvard. 

He practiced in the private sector for awhile. He began his 

public career as the first general counsel for the Michigan 

Civil Rights Commission. He was elected in 1968 to the Detroit City Council, and he served there until 1977. He was 

elected to the Senate in 1978. CARL has functioned in this 

body as a levelheaded mediator who is guided by the protection of people in Michigan and our country. 

In the past 36 years, CARL has cast over 12,000 votes. 

Some of those votes were hard, and not always popular, but 

they were CARL LEVIN votes. He did what he thought was 

right. When General Motors and Chrysler, in the last few 

years, faced a potential collapse, he recognized their bankruptcy would devastate the people of Michigan and have a 

detrimental effect—and that is a gross understatement—on 

this country. He pressed the incoming Obama administration 

to support the companies with loans. There was a hue and 

cry from people who opposed that, saying that is the wrong 

thing to do, LEVIN is wrong, Obama is wrong. But they were 

right. Look what it has done to energize, revitalize the State 

of Michigan, the whole Detroit metropolitan area and our 

country, with tens of thousands of new jobs as a result of his 

advocacy. As I said, it wasn’t a popular position at the time, 

but CARL knew what was good for Michigan and good for our 

country, and he has been vindicated a hundred times over. 

CARL has been chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for 10 years. During that period 

of time, he has done some unusually important things for 

our country through this committee. Corporate money laundering—1999. He delved into that very deeply. 

CARL LEVIN is not a headline hunter. CARL LEVIN is a substantive legislator. He could have held a lot more hearings, 

but he held them about every 6 months because he wanted 

his hearings to be CARL LEVIN hearings where, I repeat, 

every i was dotted, every t was crossed, and they were very 

powerful hearings. 

Gasoline price manipulation, the Enron scandal—he 

delved into that very deeply. 

Misconduct in the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program, tax haven 

banks, and offshore corporate tax evasion—he has talked 

[ 6 ] 

about that and talked about that. Very notable legislation as 

a result of the work he has done: Wall Street reform, the 

Consumer Protection Act, the Credit Card Act, the PATRIOT 

Act. 

CARL LEVIN is a very fine legislator. He fought for Wall 

Street reform when others were afraid to do so, and he 

helped restore the broken financial system that held powerful institutions accountable for their actions. CARL’s persistence earned him a slot in Time magazine’s list of ‘‘America’s 

10 Best Senators.’’ They called him the ‘‘Bird-Dogger.’’ 

Well, that is what he is. Put him on an issue and he will 

come back with the prey. He is very good. He never stops. 

He is a sharp-eyed overseer of U.S. defense policy. He has 

spent his entire career promoting defense policy that protects 

America’s interests at home and abroad while safeguarding 

the men and women who serve. 

CARL is the chair of the Senate Defense Committee. During the Nation’s most trying of diplomatic times he has done 

a remarkable job to make sure the military is protected. 

Even though he was chair of this big powerful committee— 

the Defense Committee—he felt so strongly and he foresaw 

what a lot of us didn’t see. He saw the disaster that would 

accompany an invasion of Iraq. Accordingly, he talked about 

how bad it would be and voted against it. CARL LEVIN was 

right and a lot of us were wrong. I have said before on the 

Senate floor, of all the votes I have cast during the time I 

have been in government, the worst was voting for the Iraq 

war. But I did. CARL LEVIN did not. 

But for all of his accomplishments in Congress, his greatest achievements reside in his home. CARL and his wife of 

over 50 years, Barbara, have three beautiful daughters: 

Kate, Laura, and Erica. Landra and Barbara are good 

friends. They are part of a book club. They have had a wonderful relationship over these many years. So as CARL retires 

from the Senate, I know he is going to cherish the time he 

is going to spend with his family. 

But also CARL and I have had a long ongoing conversation. 

He and his brother Sander own about 100 acres. They have 

had it for a long time. CARL LEVIN is not a man of wealth, 

but he and his brother bought this 100 acres that has nothing on it but trees. He calls it his tree farm. He has shown 

me pictures of it. I have not seen it lately, but I have had 

for 15 or 20 years a hat he gave me—a green baseball-type 

cap—that says ‘‘tree farm’’ on it. I used to tell him I still 

have that cap. I still have that cap, CARL. 

[ 7 ] 

He will be missed here in Washington. He will be missed 

in the Senate by all of us. But he will be missed more by his 

older brother Sandy, who is the ranking member on the 

Ways and Means Committee in the House. They have served 

together in Congress for 32 years. 

I have said this on the floor before, and I will say it again. 

I will remember CARL LEVIN for a lot of things, but when I 

was in the House, I came over to visit with him. I was thinking about running for the Senate. I said, ‘‘CARL, I came to 

the House with your brother Sandy.’’ He looked up at me 

and said, ‘‘Sandy is not only my brother, he is my best 

friend.’’ That speaks well of the person who CARL LEVIN is. 

It has really been a privilege and an honor to serve with 

CARL. I will miss him so very much. I will miss having somebody to take the difficult issues to, to get his view as to what 

we should do, how we should handle it. 

His voice will be missed here in the Senate. I congratulate 

him on his incomparable career in the Senate, and I wish 

him the very best. 

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I have only heard two of the 

comments of the majority leader—one for the distinguished 

Senator from Michigan [Mr. LEVIN] and one for the distinguished Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Rockefeller]. I have 

to say that both of those Senators deserve a lot of commendation for the service they have given to the Senate. 

They are both friends of mine. 

Senator LEVIN has been a terrific, solid performer for the 

Democrats in the U.S. Senate, and he is an honest—totally 

honest—decent, honorable man. . . . 

I will miss both of these brethren and wish them the very 

best in their lives as they go through the remaining years of 

their lives, and hopefully they and their families will have a 

wonderful time together. 

TUESDAY, December 9, 2014 

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

[ 8 ] 

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. . . . 

But let me say, especially, a few words about my dear 

friend CARL LEVIN. For 18 years, CARL LEVIN has either 

been chairman or ranking member of the Armed Services 

Committee. The U.S. military, the most powerful and professional force in the world, has in countless ways been shaped 

because CARL LEVIN repeatedly helped form a new common 

ground to move us forward as a nation for the benefit of our 

men and women in uniform and for the benefit of us all. 

CARL and I have traveled many times together—Bosnia, 

Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Syria, Colombia. 

We were there to visit with commanders and local leaders, 

but especially to see our troops and to thank them. In the 

faces of those troops I saw the trust and respect they felt— 

some to their own surprise—when they met the chairman— 

the powerful chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He 

was there. He had traveled across the globe to listen to 

them, to work for them, and to thank them. 

It was profoundly moving to me to see this—inspiring indeed. As the chairman of one of the other major committees, 

the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, he has pursued the powerful on behalf of the powerless, on behalf of the 

people. He has not only uncovered abuse, but he has sent a 

powerful message to an increasingly discouraged America 

that there is someone who will fight for them, who understands that everyone deserves a fair chance at a better future. 

CARL LEVIN has been a friend, a role model. I will miss 

working with him. 

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 

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

I wish them all well. 

Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I wish to offer a few words 

of tribute to my departing colleague, Senator CARL LEVIN— 

a model of serious purpose, firm principle, and personal deVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 9 ] 

cency, and whose example ought to inspire the service of new 

and returning Senators. We could not aspire to better service 

than what he has given our country. 

CARL and I have served together on the Senate Armed 

Services Committee for the better part of three decades. He 

is my senior in this body by 8 years and has been my chairman for more than 10 years in total. It has been a privilege 

to serve under his very able, honorable, and fair leadership. 

CARL and I sit on opposite sides of the aisle. The difference 

is quite obvious on any number of issues, but I hope it is also 

obvious how much I admire and respect my friend from 

Michigan. 

We have had our moments on the committee. Debate there 

can get a little passionate from time to time, perhaps a little 

more passionate on my part than CARL’s, but that, as all my 

colleagues would surely attest, is my problem, not CARL’s. 

We are, however, both proud of the committee’s tradition of 

bipartisan cooperation which CARL has worked diligently to 

preserve and strengthen. We both know how important that 

tradition is to faithfully discharging our responsibilities to 

help maintain the defense of this country and do right by the 

men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. We both feel 

their example of selfless sacrifice would shame us if we let 

the committee descend into the partisan posturing that often 

makes it hard to get important work done in Congress. 

When Members disagree in committee—often heatedly—it 

is because we feel passionately about whatever issue is in 

dispute. Even then we try to behave civilly and respectfully 

to each other, and we do not let our disagreements prevent 

us from completing the committee’s business. CARL won’t let 

us. That we have managed to keep that reputation in these 

contentious times is a tribute to CARL LEVIN. He has kept 

the committee focused on its duties and not on the next election or the latest rush-to-the-barricades partisan quarrel. He 

does so in a calm, measured, patient, and thoughtful manner. He seems, in fact, to be calmer and more patient the 

more heated our disagreements are. As members’ emotions 

and temperatures rise, CARL’s unperturbed composure and 

focus bring our attention back to the business at hand. You 

could safely say he and I have slightly different leadership 

styles. I am gentler and less confrontational. But CARL’s 

style seems to work for him. It works well for the committee 

too, for the armed services, and for the country. 

The committee has a heavy workload every year, and CARL

manages to keep us all in harness and working together at 

[ 10 ] 

a good pace and with a constructive, results-oriented approach that is the envy of the dozen or so lesser committees 

of the Senate. Our principal responsibility is to produce the 

defense authorization bill—one of the most important and 

comprehensive pieces of legislation the Senate considers on 

an annual basis. The committee has never failed to report 

the bill, and the Senate has never failed to pass it. That is 

not an accomplishment that some of the lesser committees I 

just referred to can claim every year, and no one deserves 

more of the credit than CARL LEVIN. 

When CARL LEVIN first joined the committee, he explained 

his reason for seeking the assignment this way: 

I had never served, and I thought there was a big gap in terms of my 

background and, frankly, felt it was a way of providing service. 

He might never have served in the military, but he has 

surely served the military well, and he has served the national interests our Armed Forces protect in an exemplary 

manner that the rest of us would be wise to emulate. 

More recently, I have had the honor and privilege of serving alongside CARL on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. His tireless efforts and steadfast dedication to 

exposing misconduct and abuse by financial institutions and 

government regulators have set a new standard for thoughtful and thorough congressional investigations. 

Whether the topic was the 2008 financial crisis, Swiss 

banking secrecy, or JPMorgan’s ‘‘London Whale’’ debacle, 

professionals in the industry and the public at large knew 

they could count on CARL LEVIN to get to the bottom of it 

with authoritative reports and hearings. CARL’s tenacity in 

uncovering wrongdoing sparked significant changes in the financial sector. 

I also commend CARL LEVIN on zealously and effectively 

pursuing his investigations in a way that has furthered the 

subcommittee’s long-standing tradition of bipartisanship. 

While CARL LEVIN and I may have had our disagreements, 

we never let them get in the way of finding common ground 

where we could. 

While CARL’s retirement may come as a relief to some of 

those on Wall Street, his patience, thoughtfulness, and commitment to bipartisanship will be deeply missed on the subcommittee and in the Senate. 

Indeed, from CARL LEVIN’s long and distinguished service 

in the Senate, he has obtained the respect of his colleagues 

on both sides of the aisle. We all listen to him, and we listen 

closest to him on the occasions when we disagree with him. 

[ 11 ] 

That, in my view, is a great compliment from one Senator to 

another. It is a tribute paid to only the most respected Members. 

Of course, the greatest compliment one Senator can pay 

another is to credit him or her as a person who keeps his or 

her word. That has become too rare in Washington but not 

so in my experiences with CARL LEVIN. He has never broken 

his word to me. He has never backed out of a deal, even 

when doing so would have been personally and politically advantageous. When we are in agreement on an issue, CARL

usually argues more effectively than I can, and when we disagree, we usually find a way to settle our dispute without 

abandoning our responsibilities. CARL LEVIN deserves most 

of the credit for that too. 

One of the great satisfactions in life is to fight for a common cause with someone you haven’t always agreed with, 

someone whose background, views, and personality are different from yours. Yet you discover that despite your differences, you have always been on the same side on the big 

things. 

Thank you, CARL, for the privilege and for your friendship 

and example. The committee is going to miss you, the Senate 

is going to miss you, the men and women of the U.S. Armed 

Forces are going to miss you, and I will miss you a lot. 

WEDNESDAY, December 10, 2014 

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, first, I have to say what a joy 

it is to work with Senator LEVIN. I know the public thinks 

that no Republicans like any Democrats and vice versa—at 

least those are the flames they try to fan—and that is not 

true. 

I can only think of two issues on which Senator LEVIN and 

I disagreed with each other. He has been through 16 of the 

NDAAs as either chairman or ranking member. I am sure 

that is some kind of a record. But to work with someone who 

you know will be totally honest with you even when you 

have a difference of opinion is really a joy. I hope we can be 

an example for some of the other committees that don’t have 

that much joy when they are working on an issue. 

The long history he has had here and the integrity he has 

expressed will be sorely missed, I have to say to my good 

friend Senator LEVIN. . . . 

[ 12 ] 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

Michigan. 

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, first let me thank Senator 

Inhofe for his friendship, most importantly, but also for the 

great partnership we have enjoyed. It has been a real pleasure working with the Senator from Oklahoma. I should perhaps also say we are confident our successors will carry on 

this tradition as well. Senator McCain will be the new chairman, and Senator Jack Reed the new ranking member. They 

will be carrying on this tradition that we have done everything we know how to do to maintain. 

Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise today in support of 

the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. 

I commend the work of my colleagues on the Armed Services 

Committee—especially the chairman, Senator CARL LEVIN of 

Michigan—on reaching an agreement with the House to complete this important legislation. 

It is also appropriate that this legislation be named in 

honor of both Senator CARL LEVIN and Congressman Buck 

McKeon, the chairmen of their respective committees who 

this year are retiring after extraordinary service and dedication to the Nation and particularly to the men and women 

of the armed services. It is another reason why this bill is 

particularly special—because it represents the culmination of 

the work of these two extraordinary gentlemen. . . . 

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

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

tributes. . . . 

Last night it was my honor to salute CARL LEVIN of Michigan for his 36 years of service in the U.S. Senate. He has 

done so many things so well. As chairman of the Armed 

Services Committee, he has produced this contentious and 

challenging bill year after year, both as ranking member and 

as chairman. As chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee 

on Investigations, he really raised that subcommittee to a 

new level. He tackled some of the most complex issues of our 

day, particularly when it came to corporate abuse. He spent 

the time to get the facts right. When he had a hearing, he 

made an extraordinary contribution to the public dialog 

about reforming our law and making this a better nation. 

When I was first elected to the Senate, people back home 

said to me, ‘‘Well, now that you have been in the Senate a 

year or two, which Senators do you respect the most?’’ 

[ 13 ] 

I said then, and I will repeat it today, if I had a tough, important decision, one I was wrestling over, an issue or a vote, 

and I could only reach out to a couple of Senators at the 

time, one would be Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, now retired, 

and the other is CARL LEVIN. That is still a fact. 

Long before CARL LEVIN was elected to the U.S. Senate it 

was clear that he had a gift for politics. Picture this—true 

story: At Central High School in Detroit, CARL LEVIN was 

elected class president. He won that race after, as he tells it, 

‘‘running around with a piece of matzoh telling other students: ‘This is what happens to bread without LEVIN.’ ’’ How’s 

that for a slogan? 

As much as I hate to think about it, soon we will have a 

U.S. Senate without LEVIN—for the first time in 36 years. 

Our only consolation is that CARL LEVIN leaves a legacy of 

good and important laws. He also leaves a powerful example 

of what can be achieved when we choose integrity over ideology, and our common good over confrontation. 

A Jewish publication in Detroit wrote awhile back that 

CARL LEVIN and his brother, Congressman Sandy LEVIN, 

both deserve ‘‘Honorable Menschen Awards’’—with the accent on ‘‘mensch’’—for their historic service to our Nation. I 

agree wholeheartedly. Senator LEVIN’s keen intellect, honesty, and fair-mindedness—his decency and unfailing civility—have earned him the respect of Senators on both sides 

of the aisle. 

Many years ago I was an intern for a great Senator, Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois. Every year now, the University 

of Illinois presents a ‘‘Paul Douglas Ethics in Government 

Award’’ to an elected leader who shares Senator Douglas’ 

deep commitment to social and economic justice and efficient 

government. The recipient of the ‘‘Paul Douglas Ethics in 

Government Award’’ in 2006 was Senator CARL LEVIN. Paul 

Douglas would have approved that choice heartily. 

As was Paul Douglas, CARL LEVIN has been a foot soldier 

for justice. Paul Douglas was a leader in the effort to pass 

a strong Federal Civil Rights Act. In 1964, the year that law 

finally passed, CARL LEVIN was appointed the first general 

counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. 

Paul Douglas believed in government and he hated government waste. He used to say: ‘‘You don’t have to be a wastrel 

to be a liberal.’’ CARL LEVIN reminds us that: ‘‘There are 

some things that only government can do, so we need government. But we don’t need an inefficient, wasteful, arrogant 

government.’’ 

[ 14 ] 

CARL LEVIN was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978. Before 

that, he was active for 15 years in Detroit and Michigan 

State politics. He taught law before he entered politics. He 

also held some other interesting jobs—including driving a 

cab in Detroit and working on a DeSoto assemblyline. 

He showed up in Washington in 1979 driving a 1974 

Dodge Dart with a hole in the floorboard. He was still driving that same car to the Capitol 10 years later. That tells us 

something about CARL LEVIN’s devotion to the U.S. auto industry, its workers, and unions. 

When General Motors and Chrysler faced potential collapse in 2008, he pressed Congress and a new President to 

support the companies with billions of dollars in loans. 

Those loans have since been repaid and Chrysler and GM 

are not only solvent, they are making a profit. The U.S. auto 

industry is in the midst of its fastest expansion since 1950. 

CARL LEVIN is a champion as well of America’s military, 

military families, and veterans. He has served on the Armed 

Services Committee since coming to the Senate 36 years ago. 

He is one of Congress’ most respected voices on national security and military issues. 

Some years back he used his power on the Armed Services 

Committee to question the procurement practices of the military. He asked: Why was the Pentagon spending thousands 

of dollars apiece for things like toilet seats and hammers? He 

said: We need more money for soldiers and less wasteful 

spending for contractors. With the world growing more volatile and complex and increasing pressure to reduce defense 

budgets, those are questions we must all be willing to ask. 

As a ranking member and then chair of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator LEVIN’s 

piercing intellect and his patient mastery of complex issues 

helped, over and over, to expose and correct serious wrongdoing. 

As PSI chairman in 2002, he led a probe of the activities 

of Enron Corporation; the investigation resulted in legislation to improve the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. 

From white collar crime, to money laundering, abusive tax 

shelters, and gasoline and crude oil price gouging, he has 

pursued the subjects of every investigation with nonpartisan 

vigor, seeking results, not spotlights. 

The list of laws bearing his imprint is long and historic: 

The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984; Social Security 

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[ 15 ] 

ment Act, 1986; the Whistleblower Protection Act, 1989; the 

Ethics Reform Act in 1989; the Lobbying Disclosure Act in 

1995—the first major lobbying reform in 50 years. 

The list goes on. Senator LEVIN voted: To repeal ‘‘don’t ask, 

don’t tell’’; to protect voting rights; and to limit the influence 

of private-interest money in elections. 

He has voted to support American manufacturing—and 

stop giving tax breaks to corporations to ship American jobs 

overseas. 

He supported my efforts to change bankruptcy laws to 

allow deserving homeowners to save their homes in foreclosures. 

He voted to regulate tobacco as a drug—another issue that 

is personal for me. 

I will always remember Senator LEVIN’s vote on the Iraq 

war resolution. For years before 9/11, he warned anyone who 

would listen that America was threatened by terrorism. 

When the horrific attacks came, he supported pursuing the 

attackers in Afghanistan. 

A year later, he and I were among just 23 Senators to vote 

against the Iraq war. He voted no, even though he was then 

chair of the Armed Services Committee. That took extraordinary moral and political courage, and history has shown he 

was right. 

CARL LEVIN is the longest serving Senator in Michigan history, surpassing another Senate legend, Arthur Vandenberg. 

As he proved long ago when he was elected president of his 

high school council, he is a natural-born politician. But like 

Senator Vandenberg, he is more than a politician; he is a 

statesman. 

I will miss his presence in this Senate and I wish him, and 

his wife Barbara, all the best in the future. 

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 

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. 

[ 16 ] 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, once again, as is our tradition 

here in the Senate, we take a moment to express our appreciation for the service of those Members who will be retiring 

at the end of the year. We will miss them, their good ideas 

and thoughtful suggestions, and their concern and active involvement in the challenges facing our Nation in a number 

of areas. 

It is hard to mention the word ‘‘service’’ and not have CARL

LEVIN come to mind. As a former local official myself, I have 

a great deal of respect and regard for all those who have 

worked their way up from the local level to the Senate. 

For CARL the great adventure of his political life began 

with his service on the Detroit City Council. During his 8 

years on the council CARL probably had enough run-ins with 

the Federal bureaucracy that he decided he had to do something about it. For him that meant a run for the Senate. 

CARL’s election and his subsequent service in the Senate 

have shown him to be quite an effective legislator and a force 

for the positions he has taken on a long list of issues. He has 

been a Member of the Senate since 1979 and he has hit a 

number of milestones since then that reflect the length and 

production of his service. 

It is important to emphasize that CARL’s service in the 

Senate has never been about longevity, it has been about results. That is why he has been a part of so many issues that 

needed someone with his talents, skills, and abilities to help 

move them through. Such an issue has been his great support for our Nation’s military and our veterans. 

CARL has been working for the benefit of those who have 

served in our Armed Forces since he first walked in the door 

of the Senate. Determined that they reap the benefits they 

have earned with their service, CARL joined the Armed Services Committee to ensure our military and our veterans were 

getting what they deserved and required both during and 

after their service. 

That is one of the main reasons why he is currently serving as the chairman of our Armed Services Committee. He 

wanted to make a difference for those who were sacrificing 

so much to serve in our Nation’s military. I don’t think our 

service men and women—and our Nation’s veterans—have 

ever had a better friend than CARL LEVIN. 

Now he is closing the chapter of this great adventure of his 

life. With his service he has made a difference in more ways 

than I could ever hope to mention in my brief remarks. In 

the process CARL has touched more lives for the better than 

[ 17 ] 

we will ever know with his commitment to the day-to-day 

issues that affect us all—like education, the environment, 

and health care. He has had an impact on his home State 

and our Nation that will be felt for a long time to come. 

Thank you, CARL, for your service in the Senate. I know 

I join with the people of Michigan in expressing our appreciation to you for dedicating so much of your life to making 

our Nation a better place for us all to live. That is why your 

constituents have always been there to express their appreciation of your work here in the Senate with their votes. 

That is also why no other Senator has ever represented 

Michigan as long as you have. 

Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you for all you 

have accomplished and for your close and personal attention 

to the needs of our Armed Forces and the concerns of our 

veterans. Thanks, too, for your friendship. We will miss you, 

but I am certain we will be in touch. 

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. LEAHY. Madam President, once again, the Senate has 

an opportunity to consider the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill is named for the two retiring chairmen of 

the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, Senator 

CARL LEVIN and Congressman Buck McKeon. CARL LEVIN

has been a fierce defender of Michigan, strong advocate for 

the men and women of our armed services, and a friend. 

When the Senate passes this bill, and the President signs it 

into law, it will be a fitting tribute to Senator LEVIN’s storied 

legacy of public service. . . . 

[ 18 ] 

FRIDAY, December 12, 2014 

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, during his 36 years representing Michigan in the Senate, Senator CARL LEVIN’s 

character and expertise have been described in many ways. 

He has been named by Time magazine as one of ‘‘America’s 

10 Best Senators.’’ He has been hailed by our military as a 

leader on national security. He is recognized by families in 

Michigan and throughout our country as a dedicated champion for economic opportunity and fairness. 

But perhaps the best description of Senator LEVIN’s philosophy of public service is a word he himself used in an interview for the George Mitchell Oral History Project at Bowdoin 

College in Maine. That word is ‘‘fiduciary.’’ 

It is the word that embraces the concepts of trust and confidence, of ethics and responsibility. In that interview Senator LEVIN elaborated on what the word means to him as a 

public servant. He said it meant to be accessible and open, 

to listen to other points of view, and to be well informed. 

Then when it is time to decide, to use his best judgment and 

vote for what is best for his State and his country, even 

though it may not be the popular choice at the time. 

‘‘Fiduciary’’ may indeed be the best word to describe our 

colleague Senator LEVIN; but to me, based upon decades of 

firsthand experience, there is another phrase that also comes 

to mind. He is truly a Senator’s Senator. My colleagues may 

be surprised to learn that I have known Senator LEVIN far 

longer than most of the Members of this Chamber. You see, 

when he was first elected to the Senate in 1978, the same 

year as Maine Senator Bill Cohen, for whom I was working 

at the time, both of them served on what was then known 

as a Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and also on 

the same subcommittee, Oversight of Government Management, for which I was first the minority staff director and 

then the majority staff director. So I have known and worked 

with Senator LEVIN for the entire time he has been a Member of this Chamber. From the very start, Senator LEVIN’s 

diligence as a watchdog for the American people impressed 

me. 

Ten years after I left the committee, I returned as Senator 

Cohen’s successor and sought a seat on the Governmental 

Affairs Committee precisely because, thanks to the example 

of Senator LEVIN and Senator Cohen, I saw the importance 

of accountability in government and business practices. As 

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[ 19 ] 

tions, it was my honor to begin my Senate service with Senator LEVIN as our ranking member, who was a far more experienced Senator than I was at the time. 

So I have seen first hand how deeply Senator LEVIN cares 

about the Senate as an institution and its unique place in 

our Constitution and in its role in our system of government. 

He is a person of extraordinary integrity and has a sense of 

purpose that sets a high standard for all of us in public service. 

He works well with Senators across the aisle because he 

works hard. From the very first time I saw Senator LEVIN

in action back in 1978, I saw the importance that he placed 

on extensive, exhaustive preparation for our committee investigations and hearings. As many evasive or ill-prepared 

witnesses learned to their chagrin, the eyes behind those 

trademark reading glasses focused like a laser because he 

has always done his homework. 

If Senator LEVIN were to be remembered for his contributions to just one area of policy, it would be our Nation’s defense. He has been a member of the Armed Services Committee throughout his time in the Senate, including 10 years 

as both the chairman and the ranking member. During our 

work together on that committee, I saw his mastery of such 

complex matters as emerging global threats and advanced 

weapons systems. Above all, his focus has always been on 

the men and women in uniform and their families, from improving their standard of living to better caring for our 

wounded warriors. 

As a fiduciary of the principles that are our Nation’s foundation, CARL LEVIN has been a faithful trustee and truly a 

Senator’s Senator. I cannot imagine this body without him, 

without his wisdom, his integrity, his insight. So I thank him 

for his years of extraordinary service, and I wish him all the 

best in the years to come. 

Thank you, Mr. President. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan. 

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, Senator CARL LEVIN has 

been my Senator for 36 years, and it has been one of the 

great honors of my life to serve for the last 14 years as his 

partner, as well as his friend, representing Michigan. 

The year he was elected, ‘‘Grease’’ was the year’s highest 

grossing movie and ‘‘Staying Alive’’ was music’s biggest hit, 

and you should see Senator LEVIN dance. So Senator LEVIN

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ple who challenged him in elections, including an astronaut. 

That is because integrity never goes out of style. 

Senator LEVIN has never wavered in his devotion to Michigan and to his country. As we heard today and as we each 

know, he has brought that patriotism to the Armed Services 

Committee. No one has done more to ensure that our men 

and women in uniform are battle-ready, with the supplies 

and technology they need to be the best military in the 

world, than Senator CARL LEVIN, or to make sure they receive fair pay and full health benefits. CARL LEVIN puts his 

coalition together year after year to make that happen. 

He has never lost faith in government’s capacity to be a 

force for good, and we heard that again in his comments 

today. This was passed down to him from his parents, who 

saw how the New Deal rescued families from desperate poverty. 

A young CARL LEVIN admired President Harry Truman— 

especially Truman, the Senator who drove cross country, 

stopping in cities where defense contractors were committing 

fraud and waste at the expense of America’s wartime economy. 

Truman himself would be very proud to see Senator LEVIN

leading the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. As 

a former civil rights attorney, Senator LEVIN relished the 

chance to cross-examine those he suspected of dishonesty toward taxpayers and the American people. It is not literally 

a trial by fire, but that committee room has definitely become a sweat lodge for unscrupulous executives or anyone 

who has tried to get rich by getting one over on average 

Americans. They sweat because they know Senator LEVIN

has done his homework—boy, has he done his homework. He 

digs so deep, he knows more about what they are going to 

say than they do. 

David used a slingshot to bring down Goliath, but CARL

LEVIN can topple a tycoon with nothing but a binder full of 

subpoenaed documents, and we have all seen him do it. In 

2007 he shined a light on abusive practices of credit card 

companies, leading to laws that have brought about more 

transparency. Thanks to Senator CARL LEVIN, your credit 

card statement contains more disclosures so you know what 

is going on. 

Those of us in Michigan also see a softer, gentler side. His 

heart is in Detroit, where he was born and raised and now 

lives with his wife Barbara. His soul is nourished by the 

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ninsula—Isle Royale, a place to which he has made many 

trips. 

If you have been to Detroit recently, you know the city is 

in the midst of a spectacular comeback. I believe it is the 

most spectacular comeback in modern history. Everywhere 

you look, you see evidence of Senator CARL LEVIN’s hard 

work. He led the way on getting Federal funding for Detroit’s 

International Riverfront, which is spectacular. He worked 

with me and others in leading the effort to secure critical 

funding for the M–1 Rail Project, championing that every 

step of the way—a streetcar that will inject even more vibrancy to the historic Woodward Avenue, which is already 

attracting scores of entrepreneurs and small businesses. 

Five years ago I was proud to stand with Senator LEVIN

as we passionately worked to rescue our American automobile industry and give them a chance to grow and move 

forward, and I saw his commitment and fiery passion for 

making sure we did not let them down, the men and women 

who worked so hard in Michigan and across the country. 

That revival has done so much to lift the economy of greater 

Detroit and all of Michigan. 

Senator LEVIN knows that manufacturing is the backbone 

of our State’s economy, but he also knows that the landscapes, the soil, and the water are all part of who we are, 

including our Great Lakes. It is in our DNA, and I know it 

is in his. That is why he has pushed for years to help Sleeping Bear Dunes be recognized as a national lakeshore, and 

we are seeing the outcome of his work as we look at this 

beautiful national resource. He fought for the Federal sanctuary at Thunder Bay and for the creation of the Keweenaw 

National Historic Park. It has been an honor for me to stand 

with him as he chaired our Great Lakes Task Force, our bipartisan task force, and fight for funding for the Great Lakes 

Restoration Initiative, which has had a miraculous effect on 

the quality of freshwater that is vital for Michigan and the 

Nation. 

I could stand here for hours talking about his accomplishments, the footprints and handprints and marks he has 

made on Michigan and, most importantly, the people and 

communities of Michigan. But, as we heard this morning 

from colleagues and will continue to hear, they are small in 

comparison to the testament of his character, his compassion, his humor, and the unassailable strength of his convictions. 

[ 22 ] 

Senator LEVIN, you will be missed in Michigan and certainly by me and the Senate. I know you and Barbara and 

your daughters and grandchildren, including your one grandson—who is kind of outnumbered—will be grateful to have 

you so you can show them the world from your perspective 

and show them the continued beauty of Michigan. You have 

given so much, and we are grateful. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri. 

Mrs. MCCASKILL. Mr. President, I wish to talk about 

Senator LEVIN from a different perspective than my colleagues have. There is a seduction that goes on around here. 

You can get lulled into a false sense of security by excellent 

staff. CARL LEVIN is fortunate that he has excellent staff, but 

what many of us are tempted to do at times is to allow staff 

to do the arcane and tedious work of checking statutory language. 

I have been blessed to have a front row seat to watch CARL

LEVIN work. From my seat on the Armed Services Committee and on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I have not only watched his excellent staff, I have 

watched CARL LEVIN. This is a man who understands every 

nook and cranny of statutory construction. He would never 

be lulled into a false sense of security that he understood the 

bill just because of what he was told. 

I will think of CARL LEVIN fondly in one way: his shoulders 

slightly stooped, his hand grasping a piece of paper, not an 

electronic device, him walking quickly toward me with his 

head down, peering over those ubiquitous glasses, saying, 

‘‘Claire, have you read the language? Claire, have you read 

the language? Read the language. Read the language.’’ 

He understands the hazards of a misplaced comma. He understands the danger of using an ‘‘and’’ instead of an ‘‘or.’’ He 

understands that the essence of our work is to make sure we 

craft language that lives up to our purpose and ideals. 

CARL LEVIN is a Senator’s Senator. There are no sharp elbows, no heated rhetoric, and, frankly, there is no star power 

on cable television. No one is dying to get CARL in front of 

a camera because he will say something incendiary or pick 

a fight, which all of our friends are anxious for us to do— 

if we would only pick a fight. 

CARL is methodically doing the grind-it-out work of legislating. He has the tools of a great Senator: intellect, integrity, good manners, and an unsurpassed work ethic. I will always call him my most important mentor in the Senate. He 

[ 23 ] 

has taught me more than I can ever say. I will try desperately to live up to the ideal he has set for all of us. 

I thank the Presiding Officer. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama. 

Mr. SESSIONS. I thank Senator McCaskill for her comments. We are talking about a Senator’s Senator, a man who 

reads the language of the legislation and knows how to legislate. 

I came here 18 years ago and have served on the Armed 

Services Committee that entire time, and my admiration and 

respect for CARL LEVIN has grown every year. It has grown 

because it is deserved. He is a remarkable leader. He never 

showboats and always wants to do the right thing. He serves 

his country first, and he runs a committee that is, in my 

mind, the best run committee—according to the ideals of the 

Republic of which we are a part—that exists in either Chamber today. It just works the way it is supposed to. 

His subcommittees work. We have amendments in subcommittees that are disputed. If you don’t like the result, 

you bring it to the full committee, and the full committee 

meets, and if it takes 2 full days, it takes 2 full days; everybody gets to bring up their amendments. 

Senator LEVIN is always brilliantly able to solve differences through proper wording of the committee’s legislation. As Claire suggested, he has an extraordinary lawyer’s 

ability to get the right words and make the bill say what the 

committee wants it to say. I think that is special, and I am 

pleased to have been a part of it. 

The Armed Services Committee authorizes one-half of the 

discretionary budget of the United States. It impacts the 

lives of men and women in harm’s way right now. We need 

to get it right. It involves a lot of money and a lot of responsibility. It is a well run committee that sets an example for 

what we ought to see more of in the Senate. 

There is a fairness about his work. Somehow we have always passed an authorization bill, and somehow it is almost 

always unanimous or very close to unanimous. There may be 

one or two issues that maybe should not have been tacked 

on to the bill that causes someone not to vote for it, but 

when it is over, normally every Member—Republican and 

Democrat—is satisfied with the ability to have their voice 

heard and their ideas put into the bill, if possible. But if you 

lose in subcommittee and you lose on the floor and you have 

had your say in both places, it kind of makes you feel like, 

[ 24 ] 

what more can I do? If the rest of the bill is OK, I will try 

to support it. These markups take time because we are dealing with a large portion of Federal funding. 

Finally, I would like to say how much I appreciated the 

wisdom he shared with us as we dealt with the nuclear option—the so-called nuclear option that changed the rules of 

the Senate. Senator LEVIN, who is a lawyer’s lawyer, said 

something that was very profound, and it was reflected again 

in his remarks today, and that is, if a majority can change 

the rules, there are no rules. If a majority can change the 

rules of the Senate at a given moment to overcome objections 

from the minority, then there are virtually no minority 

rights—you have a pure majoritarian body. I think that is 

what CARL was sharing with us in his brilliant speech that 

all of us ought to read. 

I thank our chairman for the leadership he has given and 

for the courtesy he has shown to me and all our Members. 

I wish him great success in his future endeavors, and I hope 

he will continue to contribute his wisdom to the body politic. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida. 

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, it has been summed up here, 

and I want the Senator from Michigan to hear what has 

been summarized so meaningfully by all of our colleagues, 

because this is the best of this institution in terms of how 

it performs. It has been embodied here in the public service 

of CARL LEVIN for 36 years. What we have heard from testimonies on both sides of the aisle is that because of how he 

has conducted himself as an individual and how he has conducted himself as a public servant and how he has conducted 

himself as a leader in this Senate is an example of exactly 

how this institution is supposed to function. 

Isn’t it rather symbolic that on the last couple of days of 

the session, the bill that will be passed is the bill Senator 

LEVIN has ushered through the Senate? He never broke tradition. He made sure the defense authorization bill was 

going to be passed by hammering out the differences with 

the House and shepherding it through the parliamentary 

process. It has happened every year because of his extraordinary leadership. 

I will close simply by saying that because he is all of the 

things we have heard—the consummate gentleman, the 

humble public servant, his razor-sharp mind, and the best 

lawyer, by the way, in the entire Senate—because he is all 

[ 25 ] 

of those things, he also is the embodiment of a Senator because when he gives someone his word, that is it. A person 

does not have to worry anymore. 

The future Senate should take a lesson from the life and 

the leadership of CARL LEVIN from Michigan. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia. 

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I rise with honor and 

pleasure to be able to say thank you to my dear friend. I am 

the most junior Member, besides the Presiding Officer, in 

this body today. When I first came to the Senate, I asked to 

be on the Armed Services Committee. West Virginia has a 

proud heritage of an awful lot of people—percentagewise 

probably more than most States—having served in all of the 

branches of the military. So that is very near and dear to 

me, and our National Guard is very near and dear to our 

State. So there were many reasons why I wanted to be on 

the Armed Services Committee. 

When I got here, it was one of the most toxic times of the 

political arena, if you will. It was not what I expected, to say 

the least. Seeing the toxic atmosphere that I came into, people would say it didn’t used to be this way; it used to work. 

The process worked. The whole aura of the Senate was 

there, and we are losing that. That was their excuse for telling me that is why it is not working today, but it used to 

work. 

Then I became part of this committee called the Armed 

Services Committee with this unbelievable chairman whose 

name is CARL LEVIN. I watched and observed. I didn’t say a 

whole lot at first because freshmen aren’t supposed to, but 

I watched and I learned and I saw the system the way I 

imagined it probably was 20, 30, 40 years ago when it did 

work. I saw the Senate, and I was thinking, Why can’t the 

rest of the Senate work the way the Armed Services Committee works? There is one reason. We don’t have enough 

CARL LEVINs. We just don’t have enough CARL LEVINs. 

CARL LEVIN is practical, reasonable, and sensible. It made 

sense to me what he would say. 

Just recently I have had difficulties on a piece of legislation that is very important. CARL spoke to me in terms that 

my father would have spoken to me, and I understood very 

well: State your opposition, record your opposition, and look 

at the whole situation as the betterment and the good of the 

[ 26 ] 

bill, which is better than basically this piece that you oppose. 

He said I could explain my opposition. 

CARL LEVIN would say this, too. He would say: ‘‘Listen, I 

can’t tell you what to do. Really, you have to do what you 

think is right, but let me give you some points to think 

about.’’ He has been an unbelievable mentor who will give us 

the ability to kind of process this whole system we are in. 

Let me say this, CARL. I am sorry that I didn’t have the 

honor and the opportunity and the pleasure to serve with 

you for many more years. I really am. Or I am sorry I didn’t 

get here soon enough, whatever the case may be. But the 

Senator from Michigan has left an impression on me as to 

how this place should work. 

Robert C. Byrd, my predecessor, felt as passionately as you 

do. There is a process here and there is a reason for the 

process, which is to make us talk to each other, to make this 

place work. There should never be a situation we would get 

into that is important to the American citizen or this country 

where we can’t work it out and can’t get at least 60 votes. 

There should never be a time that we cannot get 60 votes. 

If we do that, then basically just changing a rule is not going 

to change the attitude and the atmosphere we create. I believe very strongly in that. I appreciate the Senator’s fight. 

In the hills of West Virginia, we have a saying: ‘‘They are 

good people.’’ You meet somebody and someone says, ‘‘They 

are good people.’’ 

CARL, you are good people. Thank you. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland. 

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, one of the great honors of 

serving in the U.S. Senate—and it is a great honor to serve 

in this body—is the fact that I have had the opportunity to 

serve with CARL LEVIN. I think Senator LEVIN represents the 

very best of our political system, the very best of the U.S. 

Senate, and why I am so proud to be a part of this institution. 

I must tell my colleagues I came from the House of Representatives and I had the great pleasure to have as one of 

my closest friends in the House of Representatives CARL’s 

brother, Sandy. Sandy is an incredibly talented person who 

believes in public service, as does his brother CARL. The two 

of them have devoted their family reputation to public service, and they have given so much back. 

CARL, what you have done for our national security, for 

our national defense, the type of attention you have paid to 

[ 27 ] 

make sure this country is as well prepared as it needs to be, 

you have done that in an exemplary way. I can tell you what 

you have done for the people in Michigan, the type of Senator you have been. You have been a great U.S. Senator for 

your State, as well as a great U.S. Senator for the United 

States. That is not always an easy balance, but you have 

been able to do it. 

As so many colleagues have said, when we seek advice, 

when we need a Senator to help us understand something, 

we go to CARL LEVIN. Some of my constituents have a hard 

time believing that we read the bills around here. CARL

LEVIN reads the bills around here. He has found typographical errors in some of my legislation. He has found 

ways to correct us when we didn’t express ourselves the way 

we should have. He writes me notes all the time. I thank 

him for that dedication. 

As several of our colleagues have pointed out, there is no 

one here who has a greater love for the traditions—the best 

traditions—of the U.S. Senate, a Senate that debates and respects each other. One of the great opportunities I had was 

to sit in a room with Lamar Alexander and CARL LEVIN and 

others and talk about that, and how we could restore the 

best traditions of the U.S. Senate. 

So, Senator LEVIN, I want you to know, I will always be 

indebted to serving in this body with you, learning from you, 

and recognizing just what one person can do to carry out the 

honor and dignity of public service. You really define public 

service. For that, I am very grateful, the people of Michigan 

are grateful, and the people of America are grateful. Congratulations on your great service. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio. 

Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, it is no surprise to any of us 

that the first thing CARL LEVIN did when he spoke today was 

thank his staff. He thanked them, and then he thanked the 

police force and the groundskeepers and the food service people and the people who too many in this world ignore. That 

was the first thing he did. 

The second thing CARL did in his address was to talk 

about the gulf between the fortunate few and the struggling 

many. That has been what I most admire about CARL

LEVIN—that he is always aware of that and always fighting 

the fight for people who have a lot less privilege than those 

of us do who dress like this and get really great titles. No 

one, frankly—no one in this body—has stood up against speVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
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cial interests for the most powerful interests in this town 

more effectively and more energetically than CARL LEVIN. 

For that, I am grateful, and I know so many in this country 

are grateful as well. 

Thank you, Senator. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon. 

Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, when I came here in 2009, 

we were in the middle of an enormous meltdown due to highrisk trading inside our major banks. I wondered whether we 

as an institution were capable of undertaking this challenge 

of changing the circumstances around that in order to not 

have another 2007, 2008 meltdown that would do so much 

damage to families across this country. So I put out an email 

to everyone that said, Is anyone interested in taking on this 

issue for the future stability of our financial system? The 

next day I came to the floor and Senator LEVIN said, ‘‘the 

email you sent out, I want to talk to you about that. I want 

to partner in taking this on.’’ Immediately, he basically said: 

‘‘We will work together. I am not the senior Senator who 

wants to take over this effort,’’ although I would have been 

glad for that to happen. There was not the ego in it; there 

was the intellect and the passion and the determination to 

fix a problem. To me, the Senate should be about people 

coming together to fix problems to make this Nation work 

better. 

That event is deeply burned into my mind. The result, because of Senator LEVIN’s efforts, was the Volcker rule that 

said high-risk trading should not be done on the banks’ 

books, proprietary trading, and high-risk instruments. It will 

make a significant difference in the years to come. 

But what I want to thank my colleague for is the attitude 

of coming together to solve the important problems for America, even if that means taking on very powerful special interests. I hope we will see a lot more of that from this Senate 

in the years to come, but it will be a much bigger challenge 

without the Senator here. We will miss him greatly. 

Thank you so much, Senator, for your service to our Nation. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee. 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, the Senate at its best 

has been said to be the one authentic piece of genius in the 

American political system. CARL LEVIN is the Senate at its 

best. I thank him for his courtesy, his decency, his scholarVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 29 ] 

ship, and his sense of public service. I thank him for his reminder that if we are going to have the trust of the American people to write rules for them, we should follow our own 

rules. 

It has been a privilege to serve with Senator LEVIN. 

Thank you, Mr. President. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa. 

Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I too want to spend a couple 

of moments reflecting upon my long friendship and association with Senator CARL LEVIN from Michigan. 

Much has been said this morning about CARL the person 

and the Senator. Let me say this: I don’t know of anyone in 

this body who has exhibited more of an intellectual honesty, 

a calm demeanor, and a sense of fierce loyalty and perseverance. I don’t know who exhibits those qualities more than 

CARL LEVIN. 

CARL embodies the best of what I think it means to be 

both a citizen and a U.S. Senator. Barbara and CARL, Ruth 

and I have enjoyed many meals together over the years, having great conversations about everything. I want to say to 

my friend CARL, I hope that Michigan and Iowa are not so 

far apart, and that we can continue to get together in the future. 

I will say, CARL, right now I hope you don’t hold it against 

me for all of the times the Hawkeyes will beat the Wolverines in the future. Don’t let that be a stumbling block. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). The Senator 

from Oklahoma. 

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I will be very brief because 

I know we have some other things coming up before going 

on to the NDAA, and I will be standing here with my good 

friend and brother CARL at that time. I recall when I was 

first elected to the House of Representatives—it is hard for 

me to believe that was 28 years ago—and I became good 

friends with a guy named LEVIN. It was not CARL. It was his 

brother. There was a real sincere, lovable attitude about 

him. I can remember sitting by him during some of the debate on very partisan things. I thought this guy is really 

neat. It is the kind of thing where you can’t dislike him. 

Then I came over here 20 years ago. I have two major committees, Environment and Public Works and the Senate 

Armed Services Committee. I thought this is remarkable beVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 30 ] 

cause while on occasion we will differ—I am talking about 

the chairman and me—and I am the ranking member of that 

committee—occasionally we will come up on an issue where 

we don’t agree. On two occasions, last year and this year, we 

had to go into this process of the ‘‘big four.’’ That is where 

it gets contentious because at that point you have to come 

up with a bill. There was never a time that, yes, we have to 

give in. I don’t know whether he gave in more than I gave 

in. But whatever it was, it all had to happen and it did happen and it happened because of CARL more than me. 

Chairman LEVIN and I can both say the same thing, and 

people will hate me and they love him. I always wonder how 

you get by with doing that, but you do. He is a lovable guy 

whom I will sincerely miss as well as our relationship, and 

I hope you will be back often so you can be here to remind 

other people what a real statesman is. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. 

Mr. SANDERS. I want to take a moment to thank CARL

LEVIN for his friendship. It has been previously noted that 

CARL is recognized as having perhaps the greatest intellect 

in the Senate. CARL has been, for so many years, a forceful 

fighter against waste in the military, and in recent years he 

has led the Senate in telling us it is absurd that large multinational corporations are able to avoid hundreds of billions 

of dollars in taxes by storing their money in offshore tax savings. 

He has been a leader on that and for those of us who are 

concerned about the needs of our kids and elderly and infrastructure, all of the terrible problems facing this country, 

these are issues we have to focus on. 

I think Senator CARL LEVIN has been a Senator’s Senator. 

He has been a model of what a good Senator should be, and 

it is not surprising that people from all political persuasions 

will come to the floor to thank him for his service. 

Senator LEVIN, thank you very much for your time. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona. 

Mr. FRANKEN. I want to echo what everyone has said. I 

had the honor of traveling on a codel with Chairman LEVIN

to Pakistan, Afghanistan, when I had been here just a few 

weeks. So I was traveling with the chairman of the Armed 

Services Committee. The respect he got from everyone—from 

[ 31 ] 

the generals down to the privates, especially in Afghanistan—was remarkable. CARL fought to increase the ratio of 

our troops to contractors. When we took the majority back in 

2006, CARL started doing the kind of oversight of the contracting that had led to a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse in 

Iraq. He has used PSI in the way it was intended by Harry 

Truman. I thank him especially for the work he did on the 

credit rating agencies, Wall Street credit rating agencies. 

Right now Standard & Poor’s is being prosecuted by—or 

sued by the DOJ for about $5 billion. Part of what they are 

using are emails the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations obtained, in which basically the credit rating agencies 

internally were saying we better give this a AAA rating; otherwise, we are going to lose our business. That in no small 

way led to the meltdown we had because all this junk was 

getting AAAs and those were bets on bets on bets on bets 

and that is what led to the meltdown. 

CARL always seems to go to where that kind of top-down 

fraud or malfeasance is going. When Sherrod talked about 

the disparities and how this is rigged very often from the top 

down, he was talking about the offshoring and the work the 

Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations did—that is, on 

tax havens on inversions—and I hope to take that up as 

CARL leaves. 

CARL leaves a lot of unfinished business. Everything that 

has been said is who CARL is. Everyone should know that. 

One thing that has not been said is hamisha. CARL, you are 

one of the most hamish men I have ever known. Thank you. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine is 

recognized. 

Mr. KING. I wanted to speak very briefly, because as Senator Manchin pointed out, I am the most junior person in the 

place. 

I want to say a couple of things about CARL LEVIN. As has 

been said here repeatedly, CARL is a man of immense intellect and character, and I wanted to explain how that came 

to be. I thought that would be important to lay on the 

Record. 

It came to be because CARL LEVIN and his brother spent 

their boyhood summers in the State of Maine. That imparts 

character to anyone who is lucky enough to have that experience. 

[ 32 ] 

Also, I want to mention—because it has been mentioned 

several times—about the travel. I had the great good fortune 

to travel after having been here about 6 months. CARL and 

I—as members of the Armed Services Committee—went to 

Turkey and Jordan to try to get some insight into the situation in Syria. My only advice to anyone in this body is if you 

are ever invited to travel with CARL LEVIN, spend the prior 

2 or 3 months in the gym. I have never been so exhausted 

in my life, and we would be at 10 p.m., after all-day meetings and touring of refugee sites, and CARL would say, ‘‘Can’t 

we have another meeting? Isn’t there someone else we can 

talk to?’’ His absolute passion for information and data upon 

which to make decisions is I think exemplary. 

The final thing I want to note is—and it has been talked 

about how he is a Senator’s Senator, which is certainly true. 

My observation and in fact my experience this year in the 

markup of the National Defense Authorization Act is the 

highlight of my experience in this body. The reason it is, is 

because it worked like it is supposed to work. We had 2 days 

of markup. They were about 10-hour days, as I recall. There 

were over 200 amendments. Through CARL’s leadership, 

most of those amendments were compromised and worked 

out between the parties and between the individuals who 

were moving the amendments, but we ended up with about 

20 we couldn’t resolve in that way. I was so struck by this. 

I went back and looked at the record of that markup. Of the 

20 amendments that were voted on in the committee, not a 

single one of those amendments was decided on a party-line 

vote. There were votes of 13 to 12 or 16 to 4 or whatever the 

vote was but not a single party-line vote. I think that in 

itself is an extraordinary achievement in a body that is often 

driven by partisan divisions. I think it is attributable in 

large measure to CARL LEVIN’s leadership. 

Everybody had their say. Everybody had their opportunity 

to put their thoughts forward. Everybody had an opportunity 

to get a vote if they felt that was necessary. Of course, in the 

end, the bill came out of the committee—I think it was 25 

to 1—and that is what legislating is supposed to be all about. 

That is a lesson for us because people felt they got their 

amendments, they got their discussion, they got their ideas 

out. Even if they weren’t successful, at the end, they voted 

for the bill because they were invested in the process. That 

is what I learned from this man who I think has been an inspiration for those of us who are coming along behind. Again, 

I am so honored. One of the great joys of my life has been 

[ 33 ] 

to serve with you for 2 years. One of the great sadnesses of 

my life is it is only 2 years, but I deeply appreciate what you 

have done for this body and for the United States of America. 

Mr. LEVIN. Thank you. 

Mr. KING. Bless you. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from New 

York. 

Mr. SCHUMER. My good friend from Iowa is waiting patiently, so I will curtail my remarks. I would like to say to 

my dear friend CARL—whom we will all miss—if we had to 

put a headline on what is happening today, it is: ‘‘Mr. Integrity Retires from the Senate.’’ 

There is no one in this body on either side of the aisle 

whose integrity is more respected than yours. At these times 

in America, where people have such distrust of government 

and elected officials, to have somebody who is so widely 

trusted by his constituency and by the Members of this body 

who have worked with him closely over the years on both 

sides of the aisle is a real tribute. You are Mr. Integrity. 

That is one of many reasons we will miss you. 

Again, I have more to say, but in deference to my dear 

friend from Iowa, who I see is ready to roll, I will yield the 

floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio. 

Mr. PORTMAN. I will be brief as well and say that I am 

going to miss my colleague, and I told him that personally. 

I want to share a couple of reasons. One, as a new Member 

on the other side of the aisle, when I first got here, CARL— 

whom I had gotten to know a little bit through his brother, 

whom I see is on the floor today, whom has fought many 

fights with him on the squash court, but they remain dear 

friends. He came to me and said, ‘‘You ought to join the Auto 

Caucus.’’ I am not a big caucus guy. Most caucuses don’t do 

much in this place, and then I saw what he was doing with 

the Auto Caucus and he agreed to allow me come on as cochair. We had an opportunity to help fight for the autoworkers in Michigan and Ohio and around the country and 

make sure that the renaissance of the auto industry is sustained. As I am sure has been said by many here today, he 

went out of his way to make it not just bipartisan but nonpartisan. He does his homework. 

[ 34 ] 

We share some committee assignments. We don’t always 

agree. Sometimes we disagree on fundamental issues. He is 

always prepared and does his homework and has the best of 

intentions. That says a lot for him and the reason he is 

viewed as such a leader of the Senate. When I got here, I 

was honored to serve on the Armed Services Committee. 

There we were able to work together on a number of 

projects, including ones that frankly he may not have normally thought were priorities but because I was a new Member and interested in helping my State and on specific 

projects, he stood up for me. I will not forget that. We have 

done legislation together and had the opportunity to work together on important projects that have to do with the Great 

Lakes, including Great Lakes restoration, where he has been 

a nonpartisan partner. I join my colleagues on both sides of 

the aisle and say this is one of those giants of the Senate 

who will be missed. 

Although I have only been here for 4 of his many years of 

service, I was privileged to serve with him. 

I yield the floor. 

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to the 

senior Senator from Michigan, CARL LEVIN. I have known 

CARL for many years and am grateful for his friendship. 

Throughout his career, CARL has always put the needs of 

Michigan and this Nation above his own. 

Senator LEVIN was born in Detroit in 1934 and has called 

Michigan his home nearly his entire life. As a young man, 

he left only briefly to attend Swarthmore College and later 

Harvard Law School. After passing the Michigan Bar, CARL

worked for 5 years in private practice in Detroit before beginning his career in public service. He first served as general counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 

1964 to 1967. CARL then entered elected office, serving on 

the Detroit City Council from 1969 to 1977. 

In 1978, Senator LEVIN successfully ran for a U.S. Senate 

seat and has never looked back. He has since won five more 

elections to become the longest serving Senator in Michigan 

history. CARL chaired the Armed Services Committee from 

2001 to 2003 and again from 2007 to the present. Whether 

it was pushing for higher pay or ensuring that our veterans 

received proper medical treatment, CARL has always made 

sure that our soldiers and their families were well taken care 

of. 

Senator LEVIN has also served as chairman of the Senate 

Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He has never 

[ 35 ] 

had any patience for corruption or abuse, and so has been 

perfectly suited for this job. As chairman, CARL launched numerous investigations into high-profile issues, including the 

Enron scandal and abusive credit card practices. The findings of these investigations were crucial in helping us draft 

legislation to prevent future abuses. 

Mr. President, Senator LEVIN has dedicated his life to public service, and his retirement is well deserved. He is an honest man who has served his country well. I wish him, his 

wife Barbara, and their family the very best. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). The Senator from 

Michigan. 

Mr. LEVIN. I know that Senator Harkin is waiting to 

speak. Senator Harkin is truly one of the greatest Senators 

I have ever served with and Senator Harkin is one of the 

greatest people I have ever known. He, Ruth, Barb, and I 

have spent quality time, which is not always true for many 

of us in the Senate to have that opportunity. 

I thank everyone. The words have meant so much to me 

and my family today. 

I am going to join my family now. I know Tom will forgive 

me for not listening, but I will be reading what you say. You, 

Ruth, Barb, and I will have some more quality time together—perhaps not as much fun as being in the Senate, but 

we will make the best of it. 

I yield the floor. 

Ms. AYOTTE. . . . I also want to take the opportunity to 

thank Senator LEVIN, who is retiring this year, for being an 

incredible chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I have to say this has been one of the best experiences I have had since I have gotten to the Senate. I have 

been here for 4 years, and Senator LEVIN has conducted this 

committee and treated everyone with respect. He has gotten 

us all to work together, where almost every year we passed 

out the defense authorization almost unanimously—how 

often does that happen—and most times unanimously in a 

divided Congress. 

I wish Senator LEVIN the best, because he has been so 

knowledgeable and so committed to ensuring that our Nation 

is safe and committed to our men and women in uniform. 

On a personal note, he has been so respectful to me and 

has been someone who has run the committee so very well 

and has served our country with such dignity and such dedication. I wish he and his wife Barbara the best in the future. 

[ 36 ] 

He is someone whom this body will miss. Certainly as the 

chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he has treated 

everyone on both sides of the aisle with incredible respect 

and given us opportunities to raise issues that are important 

to us. I think he is a model of how we should conduct ourselves. We can disagree with each other but still find common ground where we can work together to get things done 

for the American people. . . . 

Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I want to take a few minutes today to speak on the National Defense Authorization 

Act, the annual policy bill for the Department of Defense. 

Let me start by noting that Senator CARL LEVIN, who is 

chairman of the committee that puts this agreement together, will be retiring after this year. This bill carries Senator LEVIN’s name on it in what I think will be a fitting tribute to his legacy here. I have appreciated his wisdom on so 

many issues over the years, and I know I am in good company when I say to Senator LEVIN that his leadership will 

be missed in the U.S. Senate. . . . 

Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, it is just about time for 

the vote. I want to mention something which hasn’t been 

mentioned. 

We have two really great Americans, one serving in the 

House and one serving in the Senate. We have been talking 

about Chairman LEVIN and how fair and open he has been. 

I think there is not a person of the 100 Members of the Senate who doesn’t agree with that. 

At the same time, we have Buck McKeon over in the 

House of Representatives. He is the chairman of the House 

committee that is equivalent to the committee CARL LEVIN

chairs here. He also is retiring, and he has served for quite 

some time—not as long as Senator LEVIN. 

Against their objections, we have named this bill the Carl 

Levin-Buck McKeon bill, so I want to make sure everyone 

recognizes that proper tribute has been made to the long 

hours and years and the hard work they have contributed. 

This guy over here to my left has been through 16 of these. 

He has been working about 36 years, and I want to say he 

is deserving of that recognition. . . . 

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly 

about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the 

Senator from Florida [Mr. Nelson]. I promise I will be brief. 

Everybody will face retirement, voluntarily or involuntarily. There will be a last vote to cast and a last speech to 

[ 37 ] 

make. Only God knows when that day comes because we are 

all just one car wreck away from ending our careers. 

To the retiring Members, I have had the pleasure of serving with you, and I know you all. You did what you thought 

was best for our country and your State, and what more 

could anyone ask? My good friend Mark Pryor, who tried to 

find common ground at a time when it is hard to find. Mary 

Landrieu, who would drill under the Capitol if she thought 

it would help American energy independence. We have good 

friends on the other side, and I will miss you, and I wish you 

well. But I would like very briefly to speak about four. . . . 

The last person is CARL LEVIN. If I had to describe to 

somebody from a foreign country what a good Senator was 

like, I would pick CARL. CARL understands the details of the 

government—very studious. He was the chairman of the 

Armed Services Committee and ran it very evenhandedly. He 

had a disposition that I don’t know how he held on to in 

these fractious times, but he was a gentleman. 

I can promise you, working with CARL LEVIN, we both resisted the temptation to go down some very dangerous roads 

on this detainee contentious issue. All I can tell the men and 

women in uniform and the people of Michigan is that you 

never had a better friend. 

To all of you, Godspeed. I wish you nothing but the best. 

I am fortunate enough to go into my third term. To my colleagues, as we go into the next Congress, let’s try to do better. I know we can. If we do, all boats will rise. 

I yield the floor. 

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I wanted to speak today 

about Senator CARL LEVIN and his years of service to the 

Senate and the people of Michigan. Senator LEVIN has 

served 36 years and is Michigan’s longest serving Senator. 

John F. Kennedy once said that ‘‘leadership and learning 

are indispensable to each other.’’ Senator LEVIN’s time here 

has been an illustration of that statement, and I have experienced this first hand ever since I arrived in the Senate in 

2007 and sought his guidance on difficult issues like the war 

in Iraq. He is one of the best informed and knowledgeable 

Members of the Senate. 

CARL LEVIN has been a leader for years on the Senate 

Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Senator LEVIN has served as 

the Democratic leader of the Armed Services Committee 

since 1997, a term that overlapped with several defining 

events for U.S. national security, including the terrorist atVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 38 ] 

tacks on September 11, 2001, the beginnings of the wars in 

Afghanistan and Iraq, the operation against Osama bin 

Laden and the current conflict against the terrorist group 

ISIS. Chairman LEVIN has guided our caucus through the 

National Defense Authorization Act process every year, 

working to ensure Members have an opportunity to include 

their priority issues in the bill. I am grateful for Senator 

LEVIN’s support of my efforts to ensure Afghan women and 

girls remain at the forefront of our Afghanistan policy 

through this transition period. One of Senator LEVIN’s most 

important legacies will be his thoughtful and principled opposition to shifting attention away from the fight against Al 

Qaeda in Afghanistan to Iraq. Our caucus will miss CARL

LEVIN’s steady hand guiding us through these important 

matters. 

At the helm of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator LEVIN has led the charge against some of the 

worst abuse and corruption occurring in our country. Under 

Senator LEVIN’s leadership the subcommittee conducted an 

18-month investigation into the causes of the financial crisis 

that culminated in four hearings in April 2010. The hearings 

brought forth information that helped craft the Wall Street 

Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. He also led an 

investigation into abusive and unfair practices of the credit 

card industry, which would lead to the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act, along with investigations into tax shelters, offshore tax havens and Federal 

contractor tax delinquency, among other issues. In 2012, the 

National Journal wrote that ‘‘the Permanent Subcommittee 

on Investigations is one of the few institutions in Congress 

that’s still working. CARL LEVIN is a big reason why.’’ 

CARL LEVIN’s legacy can be summed up in one word: integrity. His commitment to our security and our servicemembers is incomparable. We wish him well as he returns 

to Michigan and moves on to new challenges and I thank 

him for his service. 

MONDAY, December 15, 2014 

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, on first glance, one might 

not think that Michigan and Vermont share much in common. But to delve deeper is to see that both States have deep 

roots in their rural populations, strong agricultural bases, 

and stunning natural landscapes. Senator CARL LEVIN has 

[ 39 ] 

represented the people of Michigan in the U.S. Senate since 

1979. He is one of this Chamber’s most senior Members and 

one of the longest serving Senators in history. He has cast 

more than 12,500 votes on behalf of his constituents. 

Senator LEVIN has worked to ensure that the lakes of 

Michigan will be clean and safe for generations of Michigan 

residents to come. He has sponsored legislation to protect 

and restore the Great Lakes and their abundant wildlife 

habitats, secured millions to bring Michigan’s lakes back to 

their natural pristine glory, and backed the Great Lakes 

Fishery Commission, which has supported the Great Lakes, 

Lake Champlain, and international waterways. 

As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, 

Senator LEVIN has been a powerful force in crafting our Nation’s defense policy, particularly in the post-9/11 era. The 

battlefield has been vast, and his support of our troops has 

never wavered. He has consistently worked to ensure that 

the brave men and women serving in uniform have the support they need to keep our Nation and our allies safe. He 

and I shared reservations about launching a war in Iraq, reservations that have proven sound. 

I was particularly moved by Senator LEVIN’s strong support—and steadfast leadership—in advancing the Matthew 

Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act. 

That measure ultimately became law in 2009, in large part 

to Senator LEVIN’s commitment to ensuring its inclusion in 

the National Defense Authorization Act. This Federal hate 

crimes law took years to achieve. At a time when it may 

have been easier to push a final vote down the road, Senator 

LEVIN worked with me to ensure that it was considered by 

the Senate and then upheld through a conference committee. 

This alone would be a remarkable achievement, but Senator 

LEVIN’s Senate career boasts many achievements. 

I have also been honored to work with Senator LEVIN to 

reaffirm our Nation’s commitments to those citizens of the 

world who, persecuted, oppressed, and stateless, look to our 

country for protection. He has been a voice on behalf of displaced Iraqis and Syrians, and a dependable cosponsor of my 

Refugee Protection Act. 

From protecting America’s waters to crafting America’s actions abroad, Senator LEVIN has been a powerful and invaluable presence in the Senate. He heads now into retirement, 

where I know he and Barbara will enjoy spending time with 

their three wonderful daughters and beautiful grandchildren. 

[ 40 ] 

Marcelle and I wish him and Barbara the very best in this 

new chapter. I will miss him. 

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. . . . 

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to honor Senator 

CARL LEVIN as he prepares to retire after 36 years of dedicated service in the Senate. 

As the longest serving Senator in Michigan’s history, Senator LEVIN has been a stalwart advocate for the people of his 

State. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Senator 

LEVIN played a critical role in drafting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to ensure it would bolster the 

Midwestern manufacturers that would prove integral to our 

national economic recovery. As cochair of the Great Lakes 

Task Force, Senator LEVIN has worked throughout his career 

to protect the vast waterways that are critical to Michigan’s 

economy and those of the other Great Lakes States. 

I have had the honor of serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee under the leadership of Chairman LEVIN, 

and his concern for the people of Michigan is perhaps only 

matched by his concern for the soldiers, sailors, marines, and 

airmen who defend our Nation, as well as the families who 

support them. Under his steady leadership the Senate has 

kept faith with our military by passing the annual National 

Defense Authorization Act, and this year’s defense bill bears 

Senator LEVIN’s name as tribute to his lengthy service on the 

committee. As chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on 

Readiness and Management Support, I have always appreciated Senator LEVIN’s commitment to a strong bipartisan 

spirit in the work of the committee, and I know it will endure thanks to his example. 

A sharp legal mind, Senator LEVIN also worked in a bipartisan fashion as chairman of the Senate Permanent SubVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
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committee on Investigations to hold powerful public and private institutions accountable. Born from the highly successful Truman committee formed in the lead up to World War 

II, Senator LEVIN’s subcommittee investigated critical issues 

such as the 2008 financial crisis, systemic credit card fraud, 

as well as corporate abuse of offshore tax havens—bringing 

light to complex and obscure issues to the benefit of the 

American people. 

Senator LEVIN has been a source of reasoned counsel for 

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

However, I also know he is looking forward to spending some 

well-earned time back in Michigan with his children, grandchildren, and wife Barbara. 

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to 

pay tribute to Senator LEVIN as his distinguished Senate career comes to a close at the end of the 113th Congress. Senator LEVIN has proudly represented the people of Michigan 

in the Senate for 36 years. 

The desire to help others has been in Senator LEVIN’s 

makeup long before coming to Washington. In fact, one 

might say it is in his DNA. He comes from a family with a 

distinguished record of public service. I served with his 

brother Sander in the House of Representatives, another 

truly distinguished Member of Congress. Their father served 

on the Michigan Corrections Commission. His uncle served 

as a chief judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern 

District of Michigan, and his cousin was a Michigan Supreme Court judge. 

Given this public service pedigree, it is no surprise that he 

got started in politics at an early age. He was elected class 

president at Detroit’s Central High School. After 

Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School, he served as 

an assistant attorney general and general counsel of the 

Michigan Civil Rights Commission. In 1969 he was elected 

to the Detroit City Council and in 1979 joined the Senate. 

Senator LEVIN has served on the Armed Services Committee for as long as he has been in the Senate. His Armed 

Services Committee tenure has provided him the opportunity 

to work with 11 Secretaries of Defense, helping to ensure 

that our Armed Forces were ready and able to meet the national security challenges facing our Nation. He has long 

been a champion of the men and women of our military and 

their families. From visiting deployed troops far from home, 

to ensuring much needed training, equipment, and pay inVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 42 ] 

creases, and improving the delivery of benefits and services 

they have earned, CARL LEVIN has been there for our troops. 

Senator LEVIN is also a problem-solver. In order to improve the way the Pentagon buys its weapons and to get the 

most out of the taxpayer dollars the government is entrusted 

to spend, he has worked hard to improve acquisition practices throughout his career. In this arena, he led the way in 

passing the Competition in Contracting Act and the Weapons 

System Acquisition Reform Act. 

I was fortunate to serve on the Armed Services Committee 

during my first 2 years in the Senate. I have been able to 

observe Chairman LEVIN first hand as he led the committee 

with a steady hand in a very bipartisan manner. I have been 

proud to be part of two National Defense Authorization 

Acts—including the one this body passed last week, which 

bears his name—which preserve our readiness and provides 

for the well-being of our men and women of the armed services and their families. 

Senator LEVIN also chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on 

Investigations, where he has led investigations in many critical areas, including the 2008 financial crisis, energy and 

food market speculation, abusive offshore tax havens, and 

unfair practices within the credit card industry. His investigations have led to many reforms and laws to fix these 

problems. In 2012, the National Journal wrote that ‘‘the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is one of the few institutions in Congress that’s still working. CARL LEVIN is a 

big reason why.’’ 

The Senate is losing one of its giants—a voice of reason, 

integrity, and fairness. Michigan’s working families are losing a lifelong advocate for their best interests who has really 

made a difference. CARL, thank you for your service to our 

country. I wish you, Barbara, and your entire family all the 

best as you move to the next chapter of your journey. 

Aloha CARL, 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 exVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:31 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91908.TXT KAYNE
[ 43 ] 

traordinary commitment to public service and to the people 

they so proudly represent. 

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. 

Æ