October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10403 

Senator ALLARD has a different background than most of his colleagues. 

Born and raised in Colorado, the son of 

a cattle rancher, he had a successful 

career as a veterinarian. He and his 

wife Joan started their own animal 

hospital. He maintained his successful 

practice while serving as a State senator, and was elected to the House of 

Representatives for three terms starting in 1990. 

I have had the pleasure of working 

alongside WAYNE on many issues over 

the years. We have been allies in pushing the Department of Defense to safely and efficiently dispose of deadly 

chemical weapons stored in the Blue 

Grass Army Depot in Kentucky and the 

Pueblo Depot in Colorado. 

I have watched with admiration as he 

fought to establish the Rocky Flats 

National Wildlife Refuge, which is crucial to preserving the natural habitats 

of so many diverse species in Colorado. 

That success came after he successfully pushed, as a Member of the 

House, legislation to make the Rocky 

Mountain Arsenal site a wildlife refuge, turning a site that was once a 

manufacturing center for nerve gas and 

other chemical weapons into what is 

now one of the largest urban wildlife 

refuges in the Nation. 

WAYNE has fought to get aid for 

workers in Colorado who were exposed 

to unhealthy amounts of radiation at 

nuclear weapons facilities. He has also 

taken the lead on passing legislation to 

preserve the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Colorado’s Spanish 

Peaks mountain area. With his retirement, Colorado is losing a longtime 

champion of conservation and environmental protection. 

Senator ALLARD has been a consistent and strong supporter of our 

military and our national security interests. He led the debate on establishing a system to protect America 

from ballistic missile attacks, and he 

has supported funding and rigorous 

testing for such programs. 

He has passed legislation multiple 

times to improve the system of voting 

for our men and women in uniform 

serving overseas, making sure the 

brave warriors who protect America 

are heard when it is time to elect 

America’s leaders. 

With all these accomplishments, and 

many more, the senior Senator from 

Colorado is going to leave some very 

big shoes—maybe it is better to say 

boots—to fill come next January. 

He is also going to leave behind many 

friends. I am proud to call myself one 

of them. Elaine and I have enjoyed getting to know WAYNE and Joan and 

their family over the years. We have 

had a chance to have dinner together 

from time to time, just the four of us. 

We will miss the common sense and 

grace they have brought to our Nation’s Capital. 

We are sorry to lose such a fine Senator. But as WAYNE has said himself 

about his pledge on term limits: A 

promise made should be a promise 

kept. 

The people of Colorado should be 

proud that their Senator ends his tenure with integrity, with honor, with 

humility—the same integrity, honor, 

and humility he brought when he came 

to the Capitol. 

WAYNE, we all wish you the best of 

luck for whatever the future holds. You 

will always have friends in the Capitol. 

We look forward to seeing you and 

Joan in the coming years. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Colorado. 

MITCH MC CONNELL

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I thank 

the Senator from Kentucky for his 

more than generous remarks. Joan and 

I have been thrilled to have been able 

to work with you and your lovely wife 

on many issues. The people of Colorado 

need to know I got things done in this 

body because of your help and your assistance. Many times we shared common issues that we wanted to see move 

forward. But lots of times you were 

more than generous in giving me an opportunity to put forth my bills and my 

arguments on various bills, and I will 

forever be thankful for that. 

I think the country needs to know 

that in your wife and you we have two 

great leaders in this country. I brag 

about both of you when I get back to 

Colorado and talk about those people 

who I think have made a huge influence on this country and have set a 

great example for Americans. 

So I thank you. I thank you for your 

continued leadership. I look forward to 

your continuing to serve in this body. 

America needs you, and the people of 

Kentucky ought to be thankful they 

have such a fine Senator. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I 

thank my good friend from Colorado. 

Mr. ALLARD. I thank the Republican 

leader. 

f 

FAREWELL TO THE SENATE 

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would 

like to now wrap up with a few comments. I have now spent 12 years in the 

Senate, 18 years in the Congress all together, when you consider the 6 years I 

served in the House of Representatives. 

I can say it has been a great experience. In my view, I have represented 

the best State in the Union. We refer to 

it as the ‘‘Centennial State’’ because it 

joined the Union exactly 100 years after 

we became the United States. 

It has always been enjoyable to talk 

to my colleagues and talk to visitors to 

the Capitol about my State of Colorado 

because they have usually had great 

experiences when they have visited my 

State. It is a tourist attraction. We 

have a lot of things that bring people 

to Colorado. It is a beautiful State. 

People have great vacations when they 

go there, and they are more than anxious to share their wonderful experiences with me, share the wonderful and 

welcoming attitude they experienced 

from the people of Colorado, and share 

with me how much they have enjoyed 

visiting the great State of Colorado. 

And, when people get tired of talking 

about the great State of Colorado, we 

have always been able to talk about 

their favorite cat or their favorite dog 

because, as a veterinarian, it has always been a common interest among 

many of my colleagues in the Senate, 

as well as visitors to our office, to talk 

to me about their favorite pet. So it 

has been a wonderful experience. 

This is the greatest legislative body 

in the world. It is an honor to serve 

here. There are a lot of dedicated employees who have helped me get things 

done in this body. They put their own 

political preferences aside and thought 

of the well-being of the institution. 

They have always been very polite and 

most supportive and helpful. I wish to 

thank them. 

I have had great employees in my office. I wish to mention that you get 

things done because of the people with 

whom you surround yourself. I have 

two members who are currently on my 

staff who have served with me since I 

was first elected to the Congress. I was 

elected to the House of Representatives 

in 1990. They came in with me and 

worked with me on the House side for 

6 years and then they came over here 

and continued to work in my office for 

the last 12 years. I appreciate their 

dedication. Those kinds of people don’t 

come along everyday. They spent 18 

years with me, bless their souls. The 

two I speak of are Sean Conway and 

Doris Morgan. Both of them have been 

dedicated staff people who have helped 

to make my service to the people of 

Colorado successful. 

There are also some staffers who 

joined me after I became a Senator in 

1997, in addition to the two I mentioned, including Andy Merritt, who is 

now my State director; Dick Poole, 

who is one of my top staff people; 

Tewana Wilkerson, who has helped me 

on the Banking Committee; and Kris 

Hanisch, who has helped us balance our 

books as well as helping us to move 

through the maze here in the Senate. 

We do have our own little bureaucracy 

in the Senate. She knows it and understands it and has helped us move 

through it. She has been my office 

manager and has kept us on the 

straight and narrow. I appreciate the 

dedication of all of the employees who 

have worked with me. 

I have a great group of employees 

currently serving me in my office. We 

have had a number of people who have 

come and gone, but I never felt it was 

because they were disappointed in having to work in our office. When I talked 

to people who came to work as employees in my office, I would say: If your 

ultimate goal is to work in a Senate office, I want you to rethink your goals. 

I want you to get an experience here 

that will help you grow once you leave 

the Senate, so you can be a better citizen, so you can contribute more fully 

to whatever path you decide to assume 

once you leave this great body and 

leave our office. So I have always tried 

to encourage them to think about 


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S10404 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 2, 2008 

where they want to go. We have had 

employees who have worked in my office, continued their education, and 

have become very outstanding. I have a 

number of former staff people who are 

actually serving in elected office; I 

think some five or six people right now 

who are serving. They decided to go 

back to Colorado and pursue elected office. I congratulate them, as they are 

very active citizens in their communities. 

I wish to mention some of the committee chairmen I have had an opportunity to work with. One of the committees I was successful in getting on 

was the Budget Committee, with PETE

DOMENICI as chairman, and then JUDD

GREGG following him, and now we have 

Senator KENT CONRAD. All of these 

chairmen have been very gracious and 

helpful in working with me on issues. 

Then I have had the chance to serve 

on the Armed Services Committee. 

Senator JOHN WARNER, a great friend, 

and somebody who is retiring and who 

has been very helpful, served as the 

chairman of that committee while I 

was on the Armed Services Committee. 

I also served on the Banking Committee. The first chairman I served 

under was Phil Gramm and then RICHARD SHELBY and now CHRIS DODD. I 

have to say I have been blessed with 

great leadership on all of those committees. 

I also served on the Intelligence 

Committee. I served with Senator 

SHELBY, who was chairman, and Senator Kerrey who was ranking member 

at the time I served on the Intelligence 

Committee. 

Now I serve on a different committee 

this Congress, the HELP Committee. It 

deals with health, education, pension 

and labor issues. My well-known colleague here in the Senate, Senator 

KENNEDY of Massachusetts, is chairman of that committee. He is a wonderful person and someone whom I 

greatly appreciate and who has spent a 

lot of time in Colorado, I might say. 

I also serve with my very good friend 

who was chairman of that committee 

for a while, Senator ENZI. I couldn’t 

ask for a better friend. He is from Wyoming, a neighbor of Colorado. So we 

had many issues in common, and both 

Joan and I consider Diana and MIKE

ENZI as our very good friends. 

PETE DOMENICI

I wish to say a few things about those 

people who are retiring, starting with 

Senator PETE DOMENICI, who I mentioned was my chairman on the Budget 

Committee. I have worked with him 

also on the Appropriations Committee. 

I worked with him on energy issues and 

issues that are common to New Mexico 

and the State of Colorado. His service 

here in the Senate has been remarkable 

and dedicated. The West has been 

blessed that we have had such a good 

spokesman as Senator DOMENICI out 

there, carrying many of the issues that 

are important to his neighboring 

States, as well as New Mexico. The institution will miss him. I am sure New 

Mexico will miss him. I consider it an 

honor and a pleasure to have served 

with him. 

JOHN WARNER

Senator WARNER I mentioned earlier. 

We couldn’t ask for a greater statesman. He has made a number of trips to 

Colorado. I worked with him on the Defense Authorization bill. He has been 

more than considerate and helpful to 

those issues that are important to Colorado. He has been supportive on matters that we worked on for Fort Carson 

and for Peterson Air Force Base and 

the Air Force Academy and the many 

other issues involving the military and 

military installations we have in Colorado. He has been tough at times, but 

his leadership has been greatly appreciated by me. I think the Senate and 

the country have been blessed because 

Senator WARNER has been willing to 

dedicate so much of his time and effort 

to making this a better country, a 

stronger country. He is somebody I am 

very proud to have been able to serve 

with. 

LARRY CRAIG

Also retiring is Senator LARRY CRAIG

from Idaho, another westerner with 

whom I found a lot in common. He and 

I both have strong agricultural roots. 

He has been a very strong advocate of 

those issues important to the West and 

his State of Idaho. Again, I have appreciated working with him on national 

park issues and public lands issues. He 

is a superb individual. 

CHUCK HAGEL

Another individual I wish to recognize who is retiring is Senator CHUCK

HAGEL from Nebraska; again, one of 

the neighboring States of Colorado. 

The State of Nebraska is downstream 

from Colorado. So we have ribbed each 

other a little bit about water issues. 

Basically, though, we have been partners on water issues. We have been able 

to work together on many issues that 

have improved the management of 

water in the Platte River drainage system, which is one of the many rivers 

that originates in Colorado and flows 

downstream. I also worked with Senator HAGEL on the Banking Committee. 

He was one who pushed early on for the 

reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

He brought to this institution a great 

deal of experience. Again, he has decided to retire the same year as I have. 

I will always remember Senator CHUCK

HAGEL and our relationship and how we 

have been able to work together, I 

think for the betterment of both of our 

States. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t brag 

about my partner and my wife, Joan 

Allard. Joan has spent much of her 

time being with me, whether I have 

been in Colorado or here in the Senate. 

Senator MITCH MCCONNELL talked 

about the town meetings she attended. 

She attended about as many of those 

town meetings as I. It has been kind of 

embarrassing at times because sometimes the number of people who came 

just to see her in the back of the room 

was large and they were having more 

fun back there than I was, up front trying to conduct the meeting. People 

loved Joan as they got to know her 

throughout the State of Colorado. Her 

dedication to me and to her family and 

the people of Colorado is remarkable 

and unique. We are known as partners 

here in the Senate. Wherever I go, Joan 

is very close by, and people are used to 

seeing us both at receptions. Many 

times I was invited to events where 

they wanted me to come alone. I said: 

No, I want my wife with me, and if you 

can’t accept my wife, maybe we won’t 

make the reception, because she is 

somebody who I didn’t want to be divorced from this process. She has been 

willing to make a personal commitment in time and in supporting me in 

my work. So I wanted to make sure 

that the responsibilities of serving in 

the Senate didn’t drive a wedge between what a wonderful relationship 

we have had. She worked side by side 

with me at the veterinary hospital. We 

worked and met the challenges of raising two wonderful daughters whom we 

are very proud of, and now we are seeing grandsons coming up. So I couldn’t 

have asked for a more dedicated wife. 

We still have a lot ahead of us. I am 

very pleased that she was willing to 

take an interest in my job of representing the people of Colorado. 

The first vote I took in the House 

and in the Congress was on whether to 

authorize the first Gulf War in 1991. 

That was a tough vote. I have now possibly cast my last vote on the economic bailout or the stabilization act 

we voted on yesterday. So my congressional career has been bookended by 

hugely significant votes that have 

humbled me in terms of the trust the 

people of Colorado have granted. I wish 

to thank the people of Colorado who 

have been supportive and who have expressed their views to me in my town 

meetings, letters, e-mails, faxes, and 

phone calls. My office has sent out 

roughly 2.1 million constituent letters 

since I was sworn in. I say honestly 

that I relish every opportunity to hear 

from and explain myself to the people 

of Colorado. Even those who weren’t 

supportive and who expressed those 

views in town meetings, letters, emails, faxes and phone calls, I thank 

them for that. 

I have no regrets and leave this institution with a clear conscience. I feel as 

though I have been true to my campaign promises and have worked to 

hold down taxes, hold down spending, 

hold down the growth of government 

here in Washington, and I have fought 

to balance the budget. I feel as though 

I have worked to defend local control 

and keep America strong. I have kept 

in mind private property rights and the 

power of the State in managing its own 

water resources. 

It is time to say goodbye and wish 

my colleagues the very best, and to 

wish my successor, whoever that might 

be, the very best. It is time for Joan 

and me to move on, hopefully returning to a future in the private sector. I 


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October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10405 

came to Washington with small business experience, and I hope to continue 

working in the business sector. The 

challenge, as I see it, is for future Congresses to protect the freedom that 

continues to create opportunity for us 

and future generations and to ensure 

that we have a secure America. 

May God bless America, and may God 

bless Congress’s future endeavors. 

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

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to 

call the roll. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

INMATE TAX FRAUD PREVENTION 

ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7082, which was received 

from the House. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 7082) to amend the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the Secretary 

of the Treasury to disclose certain prisoner 

return information to the Federal Bureau of 

Prisons, and for other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 7082) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

f 

EXTENDING THE AUTHORITY OF 

THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Rules 

Committee be discharged from further 

consideration of H.R. 6296, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 

will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 6296) to extend through 2013 the 

authority of the Federal Election Commission to impose civil money penalties on the 

basis of a schedule of penalties established 

and published by the Commission. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 6296) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

f 

LET OUR VETERANS REST IN 

PEACE ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 778, H.R. 3480. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 3480) to direct the United 

States Sentencing Commission to assure appropriate punishment enhancements for 

those involved in receiving stolen property 

where that property consists of grave markers of veterans, and for other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 3480) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is recognized. 

f 

STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES ORGAN 

TRANSPLANT AUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, tragically, a month and a half ago, we lost 

a wonderful colleague of all of ours, 

Stephanie Tubbs Jones—Stephanie 

Tubbs Jones was a member of the U.S. 

House of Representatives, a wonderful 

Congresswoman who, whenever you 

met her, had a big, broad smile on her 

face. She obviously loved her work on 

behalf of her country. All of us miss 

her. 

There is legislation called the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant 

Authorization Act of 2008. I have 

worked on it in the Senate. I provided 

a companion bill in the Senate. Yesterday, I worked with Dr. COBURN on the 

other side to resolve any differences. I 

understand it is still being reviewed. 

My hope is that this legislation will be 

enacted today. Let me describe the importance of this legislation. 

We have more than 99,000 Americans 

right now awaiting organ transplantation. They are on a waiting list to 

find an organ. In fact, two-thirds of 

those on the waiting list are waiting 

because they suffer from end-stage 

renal disease, and they are waiting for 

a kidney transplant. About 6,000 who 

are on that waiting list will die this 

year. We know how to save them, but 

they will die because they did not get 

a transplant—a kidney, heart, lung. 

They will die. 

I have worked on this issue for many 

years. I recall some long while ago I 

worked on legislation that required 

every tax refund that went out to the 

American people in that year to be accompanied by a little sheet that told 

you how you could become an organ 

donor, how you could sign up. Seventy 

million Americans got a little piece of 

information on how to sign up to become an organ donor. On my driver’s 

license in my wallet, it says ‘‘donor.’’ 

It is pretty easy to do for most Americans. 

As I indicated, two-thirds of those on 

the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. Many will die before they get one. 

On the day the legislation that informed 70 million people how to become an organ donor passed, I held a 

press conference with a group of my 

colleagues. Senator Strom Thurmond 

came to the press conference. I believe 

Strom Thurmond was 90 years old then. 

He came to the press conference to sign 

a big plaque we had, to sign up as an 

organ donor at age 90. 

You had to know Strom Thurmond to 

understand the irony. He was a remarkable American, a remarkable 

Member of the Senate. At age 90, he 

signed an organ donor card, and here is 

what he said: When I am gone, I don’t 

know if I have anything anybody 

wants, but they are welcome to it. 

That was his notion of an organ donor 

card, and he signed up. 

The fact is, not just in memory of 

our wonderful colleague, Stephanie 

Tubbs Jones, but in pursuit of doing 

the right thing. We can save a lot of 

lives by passing this legislation. This 

legislation will authorize an increase 

in the Federal contribution that has 

been the same since 1984. The Federal 

contribution to the Organ Procurement 

and Transplantation Network. 

The Federal contribution to that network was $2 million in 1984, and that is 

what it is today. This legislation proposes an increase in that authorization—not a major increase but an increase that will allow us to do greater 

work to try to match those available 

organs with those who desperately 

need a donation. 

The good news is that patients no 

longer have to wait for someone to die, 

for example, to get a kidney. Living 

donations and paired donations have 

dramatically increased the number of 

kidney donations every year. That is 

saving lives and, by the way, saving 

taxpayers money. The cost of renal dialysis is very high. 

I come to the Senate floor today only 

to say this is a very important piece of 

legislation for tens and tens of thousands of people in this country who 

even now are waiting for an organ 

transplant, some of whom will die before they get it. We can save many 

lives with this legislation. 

My hope is that at the end of today 

we will have cleared the bill on both 


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