TRIBUTES TO HON. SAXBY CHAMBLISS 

Saxby Chambliss 

U.S. SENATOR FROM GEORGIA 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Saxby Chambliss 

Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office 


91901.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2015

S. DOC. 113–27 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Saxby Chambliss 

United States Congressman 

1995–2003 

United States Senator 

2003–2015 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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

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

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Ayotte, Kelly, of New Hampshire ............................................. 17 

Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado ................................................ 22 

Boxer, Barbara, of California .................................................... 28 

Burr, Richard, of North Carolina .............................................. 12 

Coats, Daniel, of Indiana ........................................................... 13 

Coburn, Tom, of Oklahoma ....................................................... 14 

Collins, Susan M., of Maine ...................................................... 25 

Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware ......................................... 8 

Cornyn, John, of Texas .............................................................. 3 

Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois ................................................... 8 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................................... 21 

Feinstein, Dianne, of California ................................................ 9 

Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina ........................................ 24 

Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah ........................................................... 24, 27 

Hoeven, John, of North Dakota ................................................ 18 

Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia ...................................................... 10 

Johanns, Mike, of Nebraska ...................................................... 14 

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 27 

Manchin, Joe, III, of West Virginia .......................................... 11 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 5 

Murphy, Christopher, of Connecticut ....................................... 20 

Portman, Rob, of Ohio ............................................................... 16 

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

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

Warner, Mark R., of Virginia .................................................... 8 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS served five terms in the House of Representatives before serving his State of Georgia in the Senate 

for two terms. Georgia Trend magazine, which consistently 

named him one of its Most Influential Georgians, called him 

‘‘a highly visible and well-respected presence in Washington,’’ 

and said he ‘‘has a reputation as an affable but straighttalking lawmaker.’’ In January 2009, Georgia Trend named 

Senator CHAMBLISS its Georgian of the Year. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS was a member of the Senate Armed 

Services Committee; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, 

Nutrition, and Forestry; the Senate Rules Committee; the 

Senate Special Committee on Aging; and served as the vice 

chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 

Senator CHAMBLISS’ leadership and experience on homeland security and intelligence matters during his tenure in 

the House of Representatives earned him an appointment to 

the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he steadfastly advocated for dramatically improved information 

sharing and human-intelligence-gathering capabilities. 

CHAMBLISS’ previous role as chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security 

made him one of the leading congressional experts on those 

issues. 

During the 109th Congress, SAXBY CHAMBLISS served as 

chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and was the 

only Senator since 1947 to have chaired a full standing Senate committee after serving in the Chamber for just 2 years. 

He served as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee 

during the 110th and 111th Congresses. 

Long before his election to Congress, SAXBY CHAMBLISS

specialized in representing farmers’ legal interests in South 

Georgia. During his four terms in the House, he was instrumental in drafting two farm bills and reforming the Federal 

Crop Insurance Program. 

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS continued Georgia’s long-standing tradition of leadership and advocacy for the State’s military installations. Following in the footsteps of former Senators 

[ vi ] 

Richard B. Russell, Jr., and Sam Nunn, Senator CHAMBLISS

was a strong voice for Georgia’s defense industry and the 

military community. Throughout the 2005 base realignment 

and closure round, he remained steadfast in defense of Georgia’s bases targeted for closure. He was also a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for troops and their 

families. 

In 2008, he was the recipient of the National Guard Association’s Harry S. Truman Award, the organization’s highest 

honor bestowed on civilian and military leaders who demonstrate continued contributions to national defense and security. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS was first elected to Congress to represent Georgia’s Eighth District in 1994. Throughout his legislative career, he was recognized numerous times by the 

public and private sectors for his work on agriculture, defense, budget, and national security issues. In January 2008, 

he was presented with the National Legislative Advocacy 

Award by the Naval Reserve Association for leading the effort to reduce the age at which members of the National 

Guard and Reserve can receive retirement pay. He is a past 

recipient of the Air Force Association’s W. Stuart Symington 

Award, the group’s top civilian honor for outstanding contributions in the field of national security, and was awarded 

the Reserve Officers Association’s Minuteman of the Year 

Award in 2005. 

Senator CHAMBLISS was the cochairman of the Senate 

Aerospace Caucus and the Senate Reserve Caucus, and was 

a member of the Senate Rural Health Caucus; the Juvenile 

Diabetes Caucus; the Caucus on Military Depots, Arsenals, 

and Ammunition Plants; the Congressional Sportsmen’s 

Foundation; and the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS earned his bachelor’s degree in business 

administration from the University of Georgia in 1966, and 

his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of 

Law in 1968. Senator CHAMBLISS and his wife, Julianne, 

have been married since 1966 and reside in Moultrie, GA. 

They have two children and six grandchildren. 

[ vii ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, as my service in the Senate comes to an end, I rise today to say thank you to some 

of the wonderful people who have been part of a great ride 

for over 20 years. 

We as Americans are fortunate to live in the greatest 

country in the world; a country where the American dream 

is still alive and well; a country where, in spite of all of our 

problems, we are the envy of the free world; a country where 

a preacher’s kid from rural southern Georgia can rise to be 

elected to the House of Representatives and then to the Senate. 

We as Members of the Senate are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve. We are blessed to be able to work in such 

a historic venue as we are in this afternoon. As we come into 

our offices and into this building every day, there are some 

things we take for granted. So to the entire Capitol Hill 

workforce, from those who clean our offices, to those who 

change the lightbulbs, provide our food, maintain our subways, keep us safe and secure, and to all of those in between, 

I say thank you. You are very professional in what you do, 

and you always do it with a smile. 

To the floor staff and the Cloakroom staff for both the majority and the minority, thanks for putting in the long hours, 

listening to often boring speeches, reminding us when we 

have not voted, scheduling floor time, reminding us of the 

rules, and making sure our mistakes are at a minimum. 

I am fortunate to have been surrounded by great staff during all of my 20 years in the House and Senate, mostly 

young people from varied backgrounds who are the brightest 

minds my State and my country have to offer. They are committed patriots and loyal to the core. To those current and 

former members of my staff, thank you for your service to 

me and to the State of Georgia. 

I have been served by four chiefs of staff: Rob Leebern, 

Krister Holladay, Charlie Harman, and Camila Knowles. 

Every office plan that each one of them put together starts 

[ viii ] 

with providing better constituent service than any other 

Member of the House or the Senate. I am extremely proud 

that our record shows we achieve the goal of doing just that. 

I have even had government agency personnel call my office 

asking for guidance on cases from other offices. 

I have often said that my greatest satisfaction from this 

job comes not from negotiating major pieces of legislation but 

from being able to help Georgians with difficulties they are 

experiencing and having a positive impact on their lives. 

I am particularly blessed to have three members of my 

staff who have been with me for all 20 years. My deputy 

chief Teresa Ervin, Debbie Cannon, and Bill Stembridge 

have walked every mile with me and have been so valuable. 

Thanks, guys. 

My greatest support comes from my family. My wife 

Julianne, my daughter Lia and her husband Joe, my son Bo 

and his wife Bess, along with our grandchildren—John, 

Parker, Jay, Kimbrough, Anderson, and Ellie—have all been 

somehow involved on the campaign trail. 

Come the 28th day of this month, Julianne and I will have 

been married for 48 years, having met at the University of 

Georgia a couple of years before that. For tolerating a husband who had a 24/7 job for 20 years, for being a single mom 

part of that time, and for understanding why I could not get 

home until Christmas Eve some years, I say thank you, 

sweetheart. 

I am privileged today to represent almost 10 million Georgians who are the most wonderful people God ever put on 

this Earth. I lost my first primary election and went on to 

win each of my next seven races. I won every one of those 

seven races because I shared the values of my constituents, 

I outworked each of my opponents, and I had better ideas 

and the best advisers and staff. Thanks, Tom and Paige. 

Thanks to Senators Nunn and Miller for their regular advice and counsel. Thanks to my three leaders, Senator Lott, 

Senator Frist, and Senator McConnell, each of whom provided me with strong leadership and always listened to me 

even when I had ideas that might have been different from 

their ideas. 

I am often asked what I will miss most about the Senate. 

The answer is very easy. I will miss my friends and the relationships we have developed over the years. Senator Isakson 

and I entered the University of Georgia 52 years ago in September and became friends immediately. We have been the 

dearest of friends ever since. He is without question the most 

[ ix ] 

trusted friend and adviser I have. I will miss our daily conversations. 

My three best buddies from my House days, Speaker John 

Boehner, Congressman Tom Latham, and Senator Richard 

Burr, along with Senator Tom Coburn, have been the legislative collaborators, dinner partners, golfing buddies, confidants, and numerous other things that should not be mentioned on the floor of the Senate. 

Senator Lindsey Graham is like a member of my family. 

We have traveled the world together many times, hearing a 

lot. I have no plans to write a book, but if I did, Lindsey 

Graham’s anecdotes would fill a chapter. 

Senator Feinstein has been a great chairman and partner 

on the Intelligence Committee. I will miss her leadership, 

her wisdom, her friendship, and those late afternoon glasses 

of California wine. 

My most productive time in the Senate has been spent 

with my dear friend Senator Mark Warner. Our work with 

the Gang of Six, which included Senators Durbin, Conrad, 

Coburn, Crapo, and then later Senators Johanns and Bennet, represents the very best of everything about the Senate. 

We spent, literally, hundreds of hours together debating 

ideas and trying to solve major problems, and we came very 

close. Senator Warner’s insight, his wanting to solve problems, and his political inspiration are lessons that I will 

carry with me forever. 

As the Senate now goes forward under new leadership, I 

have two comments. First, the Senate should return to regular order. Senator McConnell has indicated that will be the 

case, and it should be. 

The rule change by the current majority changed the institution of the Senate in a negative way. I hope the rule is 

changed back to require 60 votes on all issues, including 

judges and nominees. Some of those most vocal favoring the 

rules change lost their elections, and while the rules change 

did not cost them their election, it is very clear that the 

American people wanted a change in the leadership that 

changed the rule. Regular order will help in restoring trust 

and confidence to the world’s most deliberative body. 

Second, it is imperative that the issue of the debt of this 

country be addressed. Just last week our total debt surpassed $18 trillion. We cannot leave the astronomical debt 

our policies have generated for our children and grandchildren to fix. It is not rocket science; it is what must be 

done. 

[ x ] 

Cutting spending alone—for example, sequestration—is 

not the solution. Raising taxes is not the solution. As Simpson-Bowles, Domenici-Rivlin and the Gang of Six all agreed, 

it will take a combination of spending reduction, entitlement 

reform, and tax reform to stimulate more revenue. Hard and 

tough votes will have to be taken, but that is why we get 

elected to the Senate. The world is waiting for America to 

lead on this issue. If we do, the U.S. economy will respond 

in a very robust way. The Gang of Six laid the foundation 

for this problem to be solved, and it is my hope that we do 

not leave the solution for the next generation. 

I close with what I have enjoyed most about Congress, and 

that is the opportunity that I have had to spend with the 

men and women in uniform and those in the intelligence 

world, all of whom are willing to put their lives in harm’s 

way for the sake of our freedom. 

Whether it was Robins Air Force Base, Kabul, Ramadi, 

Jalalabad, Khowst or Dubai, I always get emotional telling 

the men and women how proud I am of them and how 

blessed we as Americans are to have them protecting us. 

They are special people who sacrificed much for the sake of 

all 300 million Americans. 

Let us also remember and be thankful for the families of 

those military and civilian personnel who likewise make a 

commitment to America. As we head into another Christmas 

season, many of those families will not have at home their 

spouse, their parent, their son, or their daughter. 

May God bless them. May God bless this great institution, 

and may God continue to bless our great country. 

I yield the floor. 

(Applause, Senators rising.) 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

MONDAY, December 8, 2014 

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, in the waning days of the 

113th Congress it is a bittersweet moment as many of us are 

saying goodbye—although not on a permanent basis but at 

least in terms of our official relationships working together 

as Senators—to so many of our good friends and valued colleagues. Every other December we find ourselves bidding 

farewell to some of the most admired and respected Members 

of this Chamber. Today I want to say a few words about 

three of these esteemed Members, starting with my good 

friend, the senior Senator from Georgia. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS and I arrived in the Senate at the same 

time following the 2002 elections. At the time, the war on 

terrorism, as we all know, was barely a year old, and it was 

by far and away the biggest issue on the minds of Americans 

across the country and in the Halls of Congress. Senator 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS immediately established himself as one of 

the Senate’s most important leaders on national security 

issues, which came as no surprise to anyone who watched 

his career in the House of Representatives. Indeed, in his capacity as chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee 

on Terrorism and Homeland Security, he oversaw the first 

official investigation of the 9/11 attacks. It is hard to believe 

it has now been more than 13 years since that fateful day, 

but Senator CHAMBLISS has never lost sight of the continuing 

threat posed by radical Islamic terrorists, and he has never 

stopped working to uphold bipartisan support for strong national security policies. He has been a consistent leader on 

important pieces of legislation such as the PATRIOT Act and 

on the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay. He has also 

been a leader on the Armed Services Committee on the annual defense authorization bill which we will be taking up 

later this week and on controversial but important topics 

such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Most recently on the campaign to destroy the Islamic State in Iraq 

and Syria, Senator CHAMBLISS again has been one of the 

[ 4 ] 

leading voices helping us find our way to the right strategy 

and the right policy. In short, name any high profile national 

security issue and there is a good chance SAXBY CHAMBLISS

has been driving the debate and working to move the United 

States in the right direction. I know he is also especially 

proud of his efforts to improve current retirement policies for 

members of the National Guard and military Reserves. 

Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS comes from a State where agriculture is the single largest industry, and he spent 6 years 

as chairman or ranking member of the Senate Agriculture 

Committee. He was one of the first Members of our class in 

2002 to serve as a chairman of any standing committee, 

something we were all a little bit envious of, early on in his 

first term of office. But he has worked on several tough farm 

bills during the time he has been in Congress, and he has 

been our go-to Member on all related issues. 

In fact, Senator CHAMBLISS understands these issues almost better than anyone on both sides of the aisle, which is 

another way of saying he understands the challenges facing 

American farmers better than almost anyone here. That understanding allowed him to play a key role in reforming Federal crop insurance. 

Folks down in Georgia have been justly appreciative of 

Senator CHAMBLISS’ work on agriculture policy, and they 

also appreciate his efforts to accelerate the Savannah Harbor 

Expansion Project through a Federal-State partnership, 

which was officially signed back in October. It is an impressive list of accomplishments, and I know I speak for all of 

our Members on both sides of the aisle and staffers alike, 

when I say that SAXBY CHAMBLISS will be missed as much 

for his warmth and friendship as for his policy work. 

As a diehard Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs fan, he 

is equally at ease discussing baseball, football, quail hunting 

or national security. He is unfailingly kind, thoughtful, and 

considerate to everyone with whom he works in this Chamber—whether Senator, staffer, or casual visitor. 

SAXBY is now preparing for his life’s next great chapter, 

which he will spend with his wife Julianne, to whom he has 

been married for nearly half a century, their two children, 

and six grandchildren, which I know bring them a lot of joy. 

I wish my good friend all the best in his retirement, and 

I wish the entire Chambliss family a never-ending supply of 

health and happiness. 

[ 5 ] 

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 

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. . . . 

I have served with SAXBY CHAMBLISS on the Armed Services Committee and joined him in his efforts to support the 

National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. SAXBY has 

been a strong supporter of our men and women in uniform. 

He has also been a leader on homeland security and intelligence matters. I wish him well. . . . 

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. 

WEDNESDAY, December 10, 2014 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to say a few 

words about my friend and colleague, Senator SAXBY

CHAMBLISS. 

SAXBY, as we all know, is the ultimate Southern gentleman. He is a man of his word. He is blessed with the 

charm and the drawl only a Georgian could possess, and he 

is far too modest. He shouldn’t be. He has a lot to be proud 

of as he looks back at a storied career here in Congress. 

We are talking about one of our Nation’s top experts on intelligence and national security. We are talking about a 

standout champion for the men and women of our military. 

We are also talking about a Senator who became chair of the 

[ 6 ] 

Agriculture Committee just 2 years into his first term. That 

is really quite an accomplishment. But once you get to know 

SAXBY, it isn’t all that surprising. 

Before he came to Congress, SAXBY was a smalltown ag 

lawyer. He still lives in a rural area—a peanut and cotton 

farming region far removed from the bright lights of Atlanta. 

SAXBY has a feel for the issues that could only be acquired 

from actual on-the-ground experience. He understands the 

real-world impact of what we discuss here in Washington, 

and he cares. 

On top of that, he has the disciplined work ethic of a minister’s son—which makes sense, because he is one. SAXBY is 

usually the first guy to raise his hand when there is an assignment no one else wants. That is what we saw for him 

on the Gang of Six, a politically difficult and work-intensive 

committee if there ever was one. 

But SAXBY came here to get things done—not to posture. 

He takes on projects with the kind of drive and courage we 

don’t often see. 

How courageous is SAXBY? Well, he accepted an invitation 

to go quail hunting with Vice President Cheney, and he lived 

to tell the tale. The senior Senator from South Carolina [Mr. 

Graham] remembers the trip very well. He had to be persuaded by SAXBY to come. He still suspects that SAXBY’s real 

motive was to give Cheney a second target. 

It wasn’t the only time SAXBY cheated death with the Vice 

President. Lindsey recalls a meeting in Baghdad with SAXBY, 

Joe Biden, and the Iraqi Prime Minister. Afterward, they 

boarded a plane and came under fire. Here is what SAXBY

said: ‘‘I guess the meeting didn’t go that well.’’ 

So SAXBY is a comedian. But he is also courageous. He is 

persuasive. He is really good at getting his way. It is kind 

of what we would expect from a former door-to-door fruitcake 

salesman. After hawking loaves of spiced dough, there is not 

much SAXBY can’t sell at this point. 

We know he was persuasive enough to convince Julianne 

to marry him. SAXBY and Julianne met at the University of 

Georgia. She was Sigma Chi’s pledge-class sweetheart—and 

she soon became SAXBY’s sweetheart. The Chamblisses have 

been inseparable ever since. 

Now, just in case SAXBY ever becomes his own category on 

Jeopardy, here is an interesting piece of trivia. The president 

of the same pledge class became SAXBY’s Democrat challenger in 2008. The two fraternity brothers are still friendly. 

[ 7 ] 

Here is how this gentleman remembered SAXBY from college. 

He said he ‘‘looked old.’’ 

Well, Julianne fell for him anyway, and it is a good thing 

she did. This former schoolteacher is better than anyone at 

keeping him centered, and she has even taught students who 

would go on to serve on SAXBY’s staff. So it is really quite 

a partnership. SAXBY says that the most significant moment 

of his life was when he met Julianne. 

That is really something when we consider how much he 

loves golf. Last year, SAXBY sank a hole in one squaring off 

against the leader of the free world—that is, the President 

of the United States. He has a signed flag to prove it. 

But golf is more than just a hobby for SAXBY. It is a way 

to get things done. More than most people around here, he 

understands the value of relationships. He is good at whipping votes and picking up intel from both ends of the Capitol. He works across the aisle, and he is unafraid to stand 

up when something needs to be said. 

That is the thing about SAXBY. He doesn’t say a lot, but 

when he does, you know it is significant. You know there is 

a lot of careful thought behind it. 

SAXBY is a serious legislator who approaches his role as 

vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee in that frame. 

SAXBY learns things on that committee that would keep anyone up at night. It is a grave responsibility. But SAXBY is 

perfectly suited to it. He has always stood proudly in defense 

of our Nation. 

We are going to miss his sharp wit, his integrity, and his 

judgment. 

I know SAXBY’s staff is going to miss him, too. Some of 

them have been with him since his days in the House. Well, 

the Senate’s loss is the Chambliss family’s gain. 

I know SAXBY is looking forward to spending more time 

with Julianne. I know he can’t wait to trade the title of Senator for a new one—Big Daddy. It is what his grandkids call 

him. He can’t wait to see more of them. They are the reason 

he works so hard here—to build a better future for them, for 

the next generation. 

SAXBY will have plenty of stories to share when he leaves, 

such as when he hit that hole in one, when he threw out the 

first pitch for the Braves, and when he made the cover of 

Peanut Patriot Magazine. 

So SAXBY has obviously had a long and interesting career. 

He deserves some time to focus on his family. We thank him 

for his dedication to this body and to the people he repVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:34 Jun 22, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91901.TXT KAYNE
[ 8 ] 

resents, and we send him every wish for a retirement filled 

with joy and happiness. 

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

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

tributes. . . . 

I want to say a word about three others on the other side 

of the aisle who are retiring: SAXBY CHAMBLISS of Georgia, 

Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Mike Johanns of Nebraska. 

I got to know them when I gathered with one of these gangs, 

as they call them around here, to talk about deficit reduction. We spent more time together trying to explore the Federal budget in ways to reduce our deficit in a thoughtful 

manner so that we really got to know one another and respect one another. 

There is a world of difference in our political values and 

philosophies, but each of them in their own way made a positive contribution toward making this a stronger nation. 

I remember well the day Senator CHAMBLISS announced 

that he would not let Grover Norquist and Grover’s ‘‘no tax 

increases ever’’ demand dictate the terms of a deficitreduction plan. That needed to be said, and it took political 

courage. Although Senator CHAMBLISS will not be with us 

when the Senate convenes in January, I hope his example 

will be with us. And I wish him the best in his future endeavors. . . . 

None of them is running for reelection so I can’t hurt them 

politically by saying that I regard each of these Senators as 

friends. They showed political courage when partisanship 

would have been easier. 

I wish them the best in all their future endeavors. 

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. 

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wanted to rise very briefly 

because I know Senator CHAMBLISS is about to give his fareVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:34 Jun 22, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91901.TXT KAYNE
[ 9 ] 

well speech. I commend my dear good friend the Senator 

from Georgia for his service. I am going to stay through his 

speech, but I know there will be others who will probably 

rise afterward to give accolades, and I wanted to be first in 

line to salute him for his service, his friendship to so many 

of us in this body, and my personal good wishes for his future. I know there will be others later; I thought for a 

change I would get a word in first. 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Senator CHAMBLISS, my remarks are 

personal. We worked together for the past 8 years on the 

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. For 4 years we 

have worked as chair and cochair. We have exchanged views, 

we have negotiated bills, and we have shared information. 

We have been there through very tough times and some very 

pleasant times. It is very hard for me to see you go. 

I have learned to trust you. I respect you. We have worked 

together. The committee put together a Benghazi report. We 

worked very hard. We found areas of agreement. 

Senator Collins of the committee is here, and Senator Warner is here. Am I missing anyone else from the committee? 

There is Senator Burr, who will be the new chairman, and 

Senator Coats, Senator Coburn. We were able to come together and put together a report unanimously, and it was 

really because of your leadership. 

As I watched, what became very apparent is that maybe 

your side isn’t as fractious as my side is. You were able to 

say yes, we can do this or no, we can’t do that, and you reflected your Members. That made it very easy for me, and 

I am very grateful. 

Yesterday we disagreed. You have never taken a cheap 

shot. We worked together at the same time to move our intelligence authorization bill. There was one last glitch which 

you worked out, and that bill passed unanimously last night. 

Together we have worked to put together an informationsharing bill for what is probably our No. 1 defensive issue, 

which is cyber and the attacks that have taken 97 percent 

of our businesses into difficulties. 

You have compromised, and I have compromised. Unfortunately, on our side, we have some unsolved issues. So, hopefully, I will be able to pick up with Senator Burr where we 

left off, and we will be able to get that job done next year. 

What I want you to know—and I said this to you in another way—that it was such a wonderful experience for me 

to work with you. This is the hard part. We are only here 

[ 10 ] 

for an instant in eternity, and the only thing that matters 

is what we do with that instant. 

What I want you to know is you have really done yeoman’s 

work in that instant, and I am very grateful to have the 

pleasure of working with you. I have learned from you, and 

I wish you all good things. 

Thank you very much, Senator CHAMBLISS. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia is 

recognized. 

Mr. ISAKSON. I rise to pay tribute to my friend, SAXBY

CHAMBLISS. 

I will admit to you this is a speech I never wanted to 

make. I never wanted to make it because we have had a 

wonderful relationship in this body for the past 10 years. We 

have done everything together. 

He has had my back, and I have had his back. He is a 

great friend, and I will miss him. But I am not a selfish guy. 

He married one of the finest women I have ever known, 

Julianne Chambliss, who is one of the best friends my wife 

has. 

Although he is leaving us and I will miss the crutch I have 

used for so long, Julianne is getting her SAXBY back. For 

Julianne, her family, and those grandkids he loves so much, 

that is exactly what SAXBY wants to do. 

Georgia has had some great Senators: Richard Russell, 

who was really the master of the Senate; Zell Miller, a 

former Governor of Georgia, a great friend of mine and a 

great mentor of our State; and Sam Nunn, one of the finest 

in national defense and foreign policy our State ever offered. 

SAXBY will be the fourth on the Mount Rushmore of Georgia 

Senators who have served Georgia with distinction and with 

class. 

I want to tell SAXBY this in person. For 10 years we have 

done joint conferences. We have messed up twice. When I 

messed up he covered my back and when he messed up I 

covered his. 

In 2008 when he almost lost a race and got into a runoff 

in December in Georgia, I rode a bus for 21 straight days introducing him three times a day and eating barbecue every 

single day for dinner and for lunch. That is a price to pay 

that only friendship will bring out. 

He is a dear friend, a trusted person. I love him very much 

and I love his family very much. 

[ 11 ] 

I could talk all day, but I wanted to open and close by saying, SAXBY, I love you. The State is going to love having you 

back. This country is going to miss you, but my grandchildren are safer, my State is better, and our relationship 

has never been stronger. 

May God bless you and your family in every endeavor you 

undertake, and may God bless the United States of America. 

(Applause, Senators rising.) 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized. 

Mr. MANCHIN. First, I would say I have only been in the 

Senate for 4 years. When I came, let’s just say it was not 

what I expected. For that, you look for a little bit of respite, 

if you will. 

I looked at my colleagues and my friends on the Republican side. I didn’t come to the Senate looking at what side 

you were on. I looked at basically the person I was dealing 

with. 

There was a person who befriended me almost from my 

first day, knowing that the transition was a challenge. He 

stepped up to the plate with a few of my other friends over 

there—I see Senator Coburn behind him—and basically took 

me under his wing and said, ‘‘Listen, we can all work together and get along. What we do here is bigger and for the 

greater good than what we do for ourself.’’ 

SAXBY not only showed me, but basically I was able to follow and watch what he did. This Chamber should be filled 

right now—it really should be from all sides—but the bottom 

line is the Senator is loved by everybody. I never heard an 

ill word said about SAXBY CHAMBLISS, the distinction he carries as far as the Senate and as a human being. 

I say to the Senator, your family and your priorities are 

correct. Your moral compass is working and working well. I 

can only tell you thank you. As someone from the other side 

of the aisle and as a fellow colleague and a fellow American, 

you are an inspiration to us all. 

SAXBY, there will not be another SAXBY, but I am glad they 

gave you to me for this short period of time of 4 years. Some 

of you—I look at Johnny, and I envy Johnny. For 52 years 

he has been your close friend. 

There is your partner in crime back there, Senator Burr. 

We hope he doesn’t tell it all when he gets up. 

[ 12 ] 

But with that being said, there are so many people who 

have a relationship that is unmatched and that is because of 

you. 

I say, my dear friend, my hat is off to you. Thank you, and 

God bless you for what you have done for the United States 

of America, for Georgia, but most important for all of us. 

Thank you. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from 

North Carolina is recognized. 

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, this moment is bittersweet for 

me. 

I spent more time with SAXBY than I have with my own 

wife for the past 20 years. We have done everything together. Those vacation spots he mentioned—Kabul, Baghdad—I was right beside him. 

We traveled to areas of the world that others wouldn’t venture to, and there was a reason he was there. He was concerned about America’s future, he was concerned about his 

children’s future, and he was in a position to have an impact 

on it to make it better for them in the future. That is why 

he served. It is obvious to all of our colleagues that he is a 

lot older than I am, but he has worked just as hard as the 

youngest Member of this institution. 

Even though we have seen each other’s children grow up, 

and now we have seen them all married off, he deserves the 

time to go home and spend some time with his grandchildren 

and, more important, to get to know his wife again. 

I want to say, Senator Feinstein, I like red wine just as 

much as SAXBY does. I probably can’t be bought as cheaply 

as he could, but I do look forward to continuing to work with 

you and, more important, to continue to do the work on the 

Intelligence Committee that really does build on what SAXBY

started in the year 2000 as we went on the House Intelligence Committee together. 

There is only one way to sum up SAXBY CHAMBLISS. He is 

a true Southern gentleman. He is absolutely a statesman, 

but what everybody who meets SAXBY understands is this. 

He is a great American, he loves this country, he loves this 

institution, and some piece of him will remain here when he 

leaves at the end of this year. He will have an impact on 

what happens even though his presence may not be here. 

We wish him Godspeed in life after. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Indiana. 

[ 13 ] 

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I am a bit out of order here. 

I was waiting for some of my colleagues who have spent a 

bit more time here than I to speak, but I wanted to take this 

opportunity to add my sincere thanks to SAXBY CHAMBLISS

for the kind of person he is and the kind of leadership he has 

provided and the kind of example he has set during his time 

in Congress and in the Senate. 

I was privileged to be able to come back to the Senate and 

join the group of people who shared the same deep concerns 

I had shared. The reason I did come back was due to the 

threats to our country from abroad and the fiscal plunge into 

debt that is going to affect our country dramatically in the 

future if we don’t deal with it. But having the opportunity 

to be with the people who have set such an example has 

been a great privilege for me. 

If I were a producer and director of a movie I was going 

to have come out about the Senate, I would want SAXBY to 

be the leading man. First of all, he looks like a Senator, and 

he has that Southern calm presence that most of us envy 

and he just seems to fit the profile. The next choice would 

have to be for the leading lady, and you couldn’t find a more 

gracious, beautiful, supportive leading lady than Julianne 

Chambliss. Together, they just make a stunning couple. 

I have had the privilege of traveling with them and seeing 

them in different places and in different situations, and what 

a tremendous gift it is to be with the both of them. So the 

Senate and many of us here will dearly miss SAXBY

CHAMBLISS. He comes from a line of distinguished Senators 

representing the State of Georgia, and as Senator Burr said, 

he fits right into that long list of people whose tenure here 

has been remembered for decades and will continue to be remembered for decades. 

His commitment to our men and women in uniform, his 

service to the agriculture community but particularly, in my 

experience, his leadership of the Intelligence Committee has 

been leadership this country has needed in a time of dire circumstances. His work with Chairman Feinstein in dealing 

with the daily pressures and weight of responsibility that 

falls on the leadership—and all of us who serve on the committee but particularly the leadership of the Intelligence 

Committee—has probably been as great in the last several 

years as any time in our history. Very difficult decisions 

have had to be made. 

I know I sometimes stagger out of that committee thinking, this is more than I can get my mind around. This is 

[ 14 ] 

more than I can get my arms around in terms of how do we 

deal with some of these threats and some of these challenges 

that have popped up all over the world in various manifestations. Yet the solid leadership on the Republican side with 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS has united us in a way that has forged a 

real bond and a desire to work in a nonpartisan basis to live 

up to our responsibility to provide oversight for the intelligence community and to be a part of helping make those 

decisions that are so important and so formative in terms of 

how we deal with these particular issues. 

So I thank SAXBY for the person he has been, the person 

he is, and the person he will continue to be, for the example 

he has set, for his friendship, and for his extraordinary leadership. I know the refrigerator will be stocked with Coca 

Cola, there will be Georgia peanuts in his pocket, maybe a 

little bit of bourbon in a drawer somewhere, and he will have 

a tee time at Augusta just about any time he wants. I wish 

him the very best as he and Julianne go forward with their 

life. He has left his mark here and certainly he has left his 

mark on me. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma. 

Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, a lot has been said about 

SAXBY already, but I have an observation I have noticed over 

the last 10 years since I have been here, and it is about leadership. We see elected leadership on both sides, but then we 

see real leadership. We see the person people go to for advice. We see the person people go to for counsel. We see the 

person whom people go to for wisdom and judgment. That is 

what I have noticed the last 10 years. 

More than anybody in this body, whether it is from the 

other side of the aisle or this side of the aisle, the person 

whose counsel is most sought is that of SAXBY CHAMBLISS. 

That is real leadership that is earned, and it needs to be recognized and honored for what it is. Because what it says is 

his leadership comes without judgment on the person asking 

the question, without condemnation of a position that may 

be different than his. It is giving of himself for the benefit 

of the rest of us. 

Hear, hear, my friend from Georgia. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska. 

Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, it is an honor for me to 

stand and pay tribute to SAXBY CHAMBLISS. I think the first 

[ 15 ] 

time I got to work around SAXBY was when I was nominated 

as the Secretary of Agriculture, and I think the first hearing 

SAXBY chaired as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee might have been that hearing. 

I arrived in Washington, and I was scared to death. I had 

no idea what to expect. But I met with SAXBY, and I knew 

immediately that when I was in that hearing I was going to 

be treated with dignity and with respect because he wouldn’t 

have it any other way. That is the way he did business. 

Fortunately, I was confirmed, and that started our working relationship. In those years, I would not try to argue that 

we agreed on every nuance of farm policy. I am positive 

there were times when SAXBY was convinced I didn’t understand a thing about Southern agriculture. But he was patient and he was determined to represent all of agriculture, 

whether it was the South, the Midwest or the West. His goal 

was to be a chairman of the Agriculture Committee for all 

of agriculture. It was during that time the farm bill was 

written, and he was a tough negotiator. He had a mind in 

terms of where he was headed and he was going to stand up 

for his people and I came to respect him so much. 

It was in the Senate though where I truly began to understand his talent. I can’t tell you how many times we have 

been in a caucus meeting and somebody would ask the most 

intricate, difficult question relating to intelligence and national security, and invariably we would turn to SAXBY. 

SAXBY would stand and, in that quiet but forceful way he 

has, he would walk us through the intricacies of the issues. 

On whatever the topic was, he would explain it in a way that 

literally everybody in the room understood. They got it. 

Watch out. You had better be prepared to be Senators with 

the information he had given us. 

What has impressed me so much, and I know I speak for 

my colleagues when I say this, is he could do the same thing 

with the most intricate issues relative to farm policy or ag 

policy or finance or the Federal budget. The breadth of his 

knowledge is absolutely unbelievable. 

I thank you, SAXBY, for the many times you probably disagreed with me immensely but treated me thoughtfully and 

respectfully and listened to my opinion. I saw you do that 

with other Members in this body. I thank you for your service. As one of the retiring Members, I will look forward to 

the opportunity to spend more time with you. I hope our 

paths cross many times in the future because I know I will 

be the better for it. 

[ 16 ] 

God bless you, my friend, and best wishes. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio. 

Mr. PORTMAN. The junior Senator from Ohio. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Your words. 

Mr. PORTMAN. Look. I am so proud to be here to say a 

couple of words about my friend SAXBY. As you have heard 

from my colleagues, he is beloved. By the way, two of those 

who spoke are Senators who are also choosing to leave us. 

Tom Coburn talked about leadership. I will tell you, they are 

leaving a huge void. 

I got to know SAXBY when he came to the House of Representatives. I was there in the early 1990s, and we became 

friends. Although I am from Ohio and he is a son of the 

South, he and Julianne embraced me and Jane, and I got to 

know his son Bo—such a great family. 

But I didn’t truly get to know him until I was the U.S. 

Trade Representative and my job was to try to open markets 

for U.S. agricultural products around the world. That required looking at something called subsidies—agriculture 

subsidies. This is a dangerous area in terms of politics, and 

Mike Johanns is very well aware of this as an ex-Secretary 

of Agriculture, having been at my side during some of these 

negotiations. 

My job was to come to the Senate Agriculture Committee 

and talk about what we were up to and try to find out how 

much flexibility there was for us to get these markets open 

that were so important for our farmers and ranchers but entailed considerable political risk. I learned a new SAXBY

CHAMBLISS was there. That is when I saw the leadership 

that was talked about earlier. 

SAXBY was willing to not just be constructive but to take 

that risk and to be totally discreet and confidential in dealing with very sensitive issues. I came away with a whole 

new level of understanding about SAXBY and therefore a new 

respect for him, his character, and his willingness to do what 

was right. 

More recently, of course, we have seen his leadership on 

other issues: standing up for our men and women in uniform. My colleagues, to me, he has been the guardian at the 

gate, giving us all comfort as ranking member of the Intelligence Committee. We live in a dangerous, volatile world, 

and knowing SAXBY was there, clear-eyed, disciplined, discreet, and able to tell it like it was and tell it like it is today, 

[ 17 ] 

I think has given not just us but our families and all Americans considerable comfort. So I appreciate his service there. 

Finally, I admire his willingness to step up on this issue 

of our national debt. This is again not an easy issue, and he 

joined with some colleagues to promote some proposals. 

Again, my colleagues who are leaving know this, Tom 

Coburn, in particular; Mike Johanns, whom I will always 

have a great deal of respect for the way he has handled that 

issue as well. 

Despite everything we have heard about him today 

though, perhaps his greatest accomplishment has yet to be 

mentioned; that is, the fact that he played golf with the 

President of the United States and managed to get a hole in 

one. The press report from that day says two things that are 

very interesting. First, it says he hit the hole in one on the 

south course. The son of the South chose to use the south 

course, of course, for his hole in one, but, second, it says ‘‘he 

was choking up on a 5-iron.’’ 

Taking nothing away from his hole in one—and it sounds 

like it wasn’t as long a shot as he explained to me it might 

have been—but choking up on a 5-iron makes no sense to 

me. There is nobody more poised, more smooth. I have never 

seen him choke on anything. 

SAXBY, we are sad to see you leave but happy to see you 

spend more time with Julianne, the kids, and the beloved 

Bulldogs. Godspeed, my friend. 

I yield back. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New 

Hampshire. 

Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, I rise to thank my friend 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS. Senator Coburn spoke about leadership. 

We are very much going to miss Senator Coburn, Senator 

Johanns, and Senator CHAMBLISS in this body. 

But what he said is very true; because as someone who 

has only served here for 4 years, one of the people who has 

been most welcoming to me and a mentor and role model 

and someone from whom I have sought advice is SAXBY

CHAMBLISS. 

As we look at this body and people whom we can emulate 

as role models, SAXBY CHAMBLISS is one of those role models. 

Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable on the issues that 

are so important to this Nation—and I can say, having 

served with him on the Armed Services Committee, he is one 

of the most knowledgeable people in this country, not only on 

[ 18 ] 

what we need to do to keep the country safe because of his 

role on the Intelligence Committee, but also what we need 

to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the very 

best to keep our country safe. SAXBY has a deep understanding and very much loves our men and women in uniform, and has stood up for them in ensuring that they have 

gotten what they need to keep this country safe. 

From my perspective, he is someone who is going to be so 

missed in this body, because he has understood that you can 

stand on principle, as he has, for the important challenges 

facing this Nation—whether it is keeping us safe, or addressing the national debt that threatens not only our security 

but the prosperity of America; but he has also done it in a 

way that he has been able to build relationships within our 

own conference in the Republican caucus, where he is a goto leader, where people like me seek his advice on how to get 

things done—but also, as we can see here, relationships 

across the aisle. 

As we go into the new Congress, I hope as SAXBY goes on 

to do other important things with his lovely family and 

Julianne and his children and grandchildren, that we will 

follow the example of SAXBY CHAMBLISS of what it means to 

work together, of what it means to be respectful of each 

other to get things done for this country, and to address the 

great challenges that SAXBY has done so much important 

work on—including keeping our Nation safe and making 

sure that America remains strong. 

SAXBY, I want to thank you for being so welcoming to me, 

for being a role model, and for being someone who I think 

is an example of what it means to serve this country with 

distinction. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from 

North Dakota is recognized. 

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, in the new Congress we will 

welcome 12 new Republican Senators, and that is wonderful. 

They are great people. They are excited. They are enthusiastic. I think they are going to do wonderful things. So there 

are 12 new Republican Members coming into the new Senate, and we are going to lose 3 of our Republican colleagues. 

I am thinking, maybe that is about the right ratio; it is 

about 4 to 1. 

But these are three individuals who are unbelievable in 

what they have been able to do in the relationships they 

built, the friendships, and the work they have done on behalf 

[ 19 ] 

of the American people. So I am looking at that statistic and 

I am thinking: Wow, these are three great people who have 

done the work of many, and I think they have laid the foundation in many ways for us to get to a majority: Senator 

Johanns, Senator Coburn, and Senator CHAMBLISS. I think 

they have done a lot of that work required for us to get to 

majority. 

We have heard about the great Senator from Georgia. But 

I think the things I am going to talk about for a minute in 

regard to SAXBY CHAMBLISS apply to the two individuals sitting here with him. They are cut from the same cloth: Senator Coburn, Senator Johanns, true public servants. People 

who ran for the right reason; people who serve for the right 

reason. I think we could ask anybody in this body on either 

side of the aisle, and they would tell us that these three individuals served for the right reasons, and served to the very 

best of their ability the American people—not just the people 

of their State, but the American people. They will be remembered long after they are gone. They will be remembered because of the great, wonderful people they are, for the relationships they have built, and for that service. So I echo Senator Ayotte’s comments. 

Senator Coburn touched on it, too. One of the first people 

I looked to as a mentor when I came here 4 years ago was 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS. Now, that doesn’t seem intuitively like 

something I would do—I am from North Dakota, he is from 

Georgia. Mike Johanns has been a mentor of mine since Governor days, so for more than a decade. But one of the first 

people I looked to as a mentor was SAXBY CHAMBLISS, and 

I don’t even know why. It was one of those things that immediately you like the guy. But as you listened to him a little 

bit, you respected the guy. You thought: This guy has something to say. He knows what he is doing. But then, it is that 

relationship thing—that thing where he goes out of his way 

to work with you, to help you, to understand what you are 

trying to do in a friendly way, with great humor, and he does 

it naturally. It is just who he is. It is automatic. I think Senator Isakson really put his finger on it: It is just the way he 

is. You are naturally drawn to him. 

I think we could talk to any of our colleagues on the other 

side of the aisle and they would tell you the same thing: integrity, honesty, intelligence; somebody you can work with, 

somebody who cares, somebody who always has the best interests of the American people at heart. 

[ 20 ] 

I had the opportunity to work with him on the farm bill, 

and I was counting on Senator Coburn to kind of jump in 

there and do it with him, but that didn’t happen right away. 

I am kidding a little bit. But we couldn’t have had a farm 

bill without Senator CHAMBLISS. 

When I think how difficult it is to move legislation like 

that, particularly over the course of the past year, and realize that a farm bill really isn’t so much Republican/Democratic—it really isn’t. If you look at how a farm bill works, 

that is not the makeup. It comes down to people who know 

and understand agriculture, who understand the importance 

of a good farm bill for our farmers and ranchers, but understand also that our farmers and ranchers across the country 

create the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the 

world. It is not perfect, but every American benefits every 

day from the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the 

world. 

So when I think of my State of North Dakota, or Senator 

Coburn’s great State of Oklahoma, or Senator Johanns’ State 

of Nebraska—we all produce all of these different ag products. We raise all these crops, we raise all these animals. 

And there are so many people out there, so many farmers 

and ranchers—they don’t know SAXBY CHAMBLISS. But I will 

tell you what: They owe him a great big thank you. They 

really do, because without him we wouldn’t have a good farm 

plan for this country. 

The reality is it is not just the farmers and ranchers. It 

is true for so many people across this country: They may not 

know SAXBY CHAMBLISS, but they owe him a lot. He is somebody who epitomizes the very best of this institution. 

I know his wife Julianne is here. I have to admit, when 

I first met her I thought she was his daughter because she 

is so young and beautiful. I am teasing him a little. But she 

is fantastic. And the same thing—she was immediately a 

friend and a mentor to my wife Mikey. 

When we talk about SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Tom Coburn, Mike 

Johanns, it doesn’t get any better than that. We will miss 

them a lot. 

I wish all three of them Godspeed, and may God bless you 

in your next career. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut 

is recognized. 

Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I add my congratulations to 

Senator CHAMBLISS. It is strange, coming here in the last 2 

[ 21 ] 

years and getting to serve only 2 years with giants in the 

Senate like SAXBY, like Tom Harkin, and like Senator Rockefeller, whose legacies will live on. . . . 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as the current session of Congress comes to a close it is our custom to take a moment to 

express our appreciation for the service of our colleagues who 

are retiring and will not be with us when the next session 

begins in January. We will miss them all. Over the years 

their experience and insights on a number of issues have 

been a very valuable part of our debates and deliberations. 

I know I will especially miss SAXBY CHAMBLISS. His work 

here on the floor and his committee assignments have played 

an important role in our consideration of a number of issues 

over the years. Simply put, he has been a great champion for 

conservative causes during his service in the House and Senate and he has made a difference for his constituents in 

many ways. He is a man of principle, and he has a great gift 

for expressing his viewpoint in a thoughtful, clear, and interesting manner. He is so persuasive, in fact, that even if you 

disagree with him he makes you take a moment to reconsider your position just to be sure you have not missed something. 

Before he began his years of public service to the people 

of Georgia, SAXBY proved to be the kind of individual who 

would have been a success at just about anything he decided 

to pursue. Fortunately, the path he chose to follow in his life 

brought him to the Nation’s Capital to represent Georgia— 

first in the House of Representatives and later in the Senate. 

SAXBY served four terms in the House. It was a challenge 

that he enjoyed because it gave him a chance to sit on the 

committees that were taking a closer look at our intelligence 

organizations to be certain they would be ready to face any 

future threats to our national security. Georgia was proud to 

see that they had elected someone to Congress who was hard 

not to notice. He did such a good job, in fact, he was encouraged to run for the Senate. 

When he arrived in this Chamber, he had already established himself as one of our leading conservative voices. That 

did not surprise any of us. He has a calm, even way of expressing himself and articulating how his principles play out 

for whatever issue we have before us. 

One great attribute that SAXBY brought with him to his 

work in the Congress was his willingness to work with people who did not always agree with him. He knew there 

would come a time when they would agree with him on 

[ 22 ] 

something no matter how many times they had disagreed in 

the past. When the situation presented itself that was what 

he would focus on. 

Simply put, SAXBY believes very strongly in making 

progress and getting results. He is not all that concerned 

about who gets credit for it. As the old adage reminds us, for 

SAXBY, it is all about leaving things a little better at the end 

of the day today than they were yesterday. 

Over the years SAXBY has always found a way to make 

progress no matter how rough the road seemed to be. It has 

been one of the guiding principles behind SAXBY’s 20 years 

of service. His commitment to moving forward has enabled 

him to leave his mark in Georgia and throughout much of 

the United States. 

Now that this chapter of SAXBY’s life has come to a close, 

I am not sure what he has planned for his next great adventure. He just does not strike me as someone who will be content to sit on the sidelines. I am sure we will be hearing 

from him from time to time with some words of encouragement and support—and a suggestion or two. In fact, I am 

looking forward to it. 

SAXBY, thank you for your service in the House and the 

Senate. In your 20 years of service in the House and the 

Senate you have not only been a witness to the history of 

your home State of Georgia and our Nation, you have helped 

to write it. Because of you the Nation is stronger, safer, and 

more secure. Yours is a record of leadership of which you 

should be very proud. 

Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you. From one 

Sigma Chi brother to another, you have made a difference 

because you have always led the best way—by example. 

What others are content to talk about you have stepped up 

to do the work needed to get the job done and because of 

that you have been able to make a difference—an important 

and long-lasting one. 

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. 

[ 23 ] 

THUSDAY, December 11, 2014 

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I wish to share a few 

thoughts about the service in the Senate of our good friend 

and colleague SAXBY CHAMBLISS. 

SAXBY is one of the best liked and most respected Senators 

in this body. Every Member knows him. Every Member likes 

him. Every Member respects him. I truly share that view. 

And on matters particularly related to national security, intelligence issues, and terrorism, I consistently want to know 

what SAXBY has to say about it. 

He has done a whole lot of things in this Senate. He has 

been a participant and a contributor on many issues. He 

worked really hard to try to create a bipartisan solution to 

our debt crisis. That didn’t quite develop, but it was a positive part of the discussion this Senate went through. 

What I really want to say is that as chairman or vice 

chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and having 

been a longtime Member of the House Intelligence Committee, and here in the Senate, he has become the go-to person with regard to the sensitive issues relating to the security of our country. I consistently have looked to him because 

I trust his judgment, trust his integrity, and trust his wisdom to help sort through all the political news articles and 

debates and hot issues, and to distill down to the bottom of 

what is important, what we should be focused on, and what 

the right thing is for America. 

Truly, he has been a remarkable Senator. We are going to 

miss SAXBY. I am going to miss SAXBY, as so many of us will. 

He is the son of an Episcopalian minister. He is a man of 

faith. 

He has a delightful wife, Julianne. My wife is a good judge 

of character and she thinks Julianne hung the Moon, and 

that is so true. They are a great family and great partners. 

SAXBY has given so much to the Senate. Georgia has produced some great Senators, particularly Senators known for 

their commitment to national security and the defense of 

America: Richard Russell, for whom the Russell Senate Office Building is named; Sam Nunn, who was so long a leader 

in the Congress with regard to national defense. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS is in that category. That is the kind of 

Senator he has been—from defending America to helping his 

colleagues sift through difficult issues and make good, wise 

decisions. It has been a great pleasure for me to serve with 

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him. I wish him every success in his future endeavors and 

look forward to seeing him back in this area many times. 

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum. 

FRIDAY, December 12, 2014 

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly 

about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the 

Senator from Florida. 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 

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. 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS and Julianne and the Chambliss family 

have become my family. If you are lucky in politics, you will 

make a few friends. I have been very lucky, and I have made 

lifelong friends with the Chambliss family, not just SAXBY. 

SAXBY represents the best in being a Senator. He looks the 

part, and he acts the part. I would say to the people of Georgia that he worked very hard on your behalf. He protected 

our country against terrorism. He helped the farmer. He did 

everything he knew how to do to serve the people of Georgia, 

and I will miss my 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. And if we do, all boats will rise. 

Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I rise today to honor my 

good friend Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS on the occasion of his 

retirement. For 20 years he has served his fellow Georgians 

in Congress with honor and distinction. He will be sorely 

missed. 

A preacher’s son, SAXBY was born in Warrenton, NC. He 

graduated from the University of Georgia and the University 

[ 25 ] 

of Tennessee College of Law. As a lawyer in south Georgia, 

he built a successful law practice representing the farmers 

that are the lifeblood of his State. 

He put his expertise on farm issues to good use here in 

Congress and became a key player in negotiations for each 

of the farm bills considered during his tenure. Just 2 years 

after he was elected to the Senate, he assumed the chairmanship of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the fastest any new Senator has risen to chair a 

standing committee since 1947. 

SAXBY and I served together for many years on the Select 

Committee on Intelligence, where I came to appreciate his 

wisdom, his sound judgment, and his unyielding commitment to keeping this Nation safe. He has been an enormously effective vice chairman over the past 4 years. Even 

as his tenure here draws to a close, he has once again demonstrated his superb leadership in setting the record straight 

on the Intelligence Committee’s investigation of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program. 

Above all else, SAXBY is a proud husband, father of two, 

and grandfather of six. I know that his lovely wife Julianne 

and the rest of his family are eager to spend more time together in the coming years. 

Mr. President, SAXBY and the entire Chambliss family 

should know that his colleagues, his fellow Georgians, and 

his fellow Americans are truly grateful for his service and 

his family’s sacrifices. I wish them all the best. 

MONDAY, December 15, 2014 

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, it is a great pleasure 

but a bittersweet moment for me to rise on the Senate floor 

to pay tribute to a dear friend and an esteemed colleague, 

Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS. 

After 20 years in Congress—8 in the House and 12 here 

in the Senate—Senator CHAMBLISS retires from this phase of 

service to Georgia and to our Nation with a well-deserved 

reputation as a true statesman. 

At a time when the coarsening political discourse across 

our Nation and here in Congress is a growing concern, Senator CHAMBLISS is a shining example of expertise and ability 

combined with civility and respect. He leaves Congress not 

only with many friends on both sides of the aisle, but also 

with many accomplishments to his credit. 

[ 26 ] 

His leadership in national security and intelligence in both 

Chambers has been a great asset to our Nation. From agriculture to armed services, Senator CHAMBLISS has been an 

informed and effective advocate for his constituents and for 

the American people. 

The golfers here might consider the hole in one he famously scored in a foursome with President Obama last year 

to be worthy of mention. Personally, as the founder and cochair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, I would consider his 

dedication to the cause of juvenile diabetes to be a true highlight. 

I have also had the great pleasure of serving with Senator 

CHAMBLISS both on the Intelligence Committee, where he is 

the vice chairman, and previously on the Senate Armed 

Services Committee. I saw first hand his extraordinary grasp 

of complicated issues that are so critical to the security of 

our Nation. I also witnessed how he would listen carefully to 

the views of others, whether on the Republican side of the 

aisle or from the Democratic Members on both committees. 

But if there is one shining moment that stands out for me, 

it would be Senator CHAMBLISS’ leadership in the Gang of 

Six during the 2011 debt ceiling crisis. At a time when it was 

far easier to stand back, point fingers, and fix blame, Senator CHAMBLISS, along with Senator Mark Warner, led the 

way in producing a framework to provide a bipartisan, comprehensive, and balanced way to put our Nation on a stable 

fiscal path. The fact that our national debt has grown from 

$16 trillion to $18 trillion since then makes it all the more 

imperative that we continue the effort, with the leadership 

that was shown by Senator CHAMBLISS and that he so courageously helped to start. 

The fact that this dedicated and wise leader cited Washington gridlock and partisan posturing as the driving force in 

his decision to retire from the Senate should give us all 

cause to reflect. 

Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS has always been a voice of reason. No matter how bitter the debate, he has always engaged 

in thoughtful discussions that result in solutions. As he returns to private life, his advice will continue to be sought 

after and I hope heeded. His knowledge and insight will still 

be valued, and the example of decency and civility he has set 

should guide us all. I know his beloved wife, his children, 

and his grandchildren will be happy to have more of Senator 

CHAMBLISS’ time, but for those of us who have been priviVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:34 Jun 22, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\91901.TXT KAYNE
[ 27 ] 

leged to serve with him in the Senate, his decision to retire 

is a great loss. 

The people of Georgia, the people of America, and those of 

us who have been privileged to serve as SAXBY CHAMBLISS’ 

colleagues are grateful for his service. I wish him all the best 

in the years to come, both on and off the golf course. 

Thank you, Madam President. 

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, in Senator SAXBY

CHAMBLISS, Georgians have had a diligent voice in Congress 

for nearly 20 years. We may not always agree, but I have appreciated his willingness to cross the aisle on such important 

issues as budget priorities and agriculture policy. 

Senator CHAMBLISS is the former chairman and ranking 

member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In his time in 

Congress, Senator CHAMBLISS has participated in enactment 

of four bipartisan omnibus agriculture bills, the most recent 

of which is the 2014 farm bill. He played an important role 

in reforming the Crop Insurance Program and has been an 

advocate for supporting the Nation’s agricultural sector. I 

have particularly appreciated his support for critical conservation and forestry programs. 

Senator CHAMBLISS was recognized as a key legislator in 

the 2011 discussions surrounding deficit reduction. He has 

been an active member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of the National Guard. 

Through his tenure, he has been a steadfast representative 

for the people of Georgia, and one prominent publication in 

the State gave him the title ‘‘Georgian of the Year’’ in 2009. 

Senator CHAMBLISS will retire at the end of this Congress, 

and I wish him, his wife Julianne, their children, and grandchildren all the very best. 

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. . . . 

[ 28 ] 

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

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

Begich, Senator SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Senator Tom Coburn, 

Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike 

Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu, 

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

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

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

they so proudly represent. 

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