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[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10620-S10623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                          TRIBUTE TO SENATORS

                             Elizabeth Dole

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it is my sad task today to say 
farewell to our friend, the Senator from North Carolina, Elizabeth 
Dole. It is hard to know where to begin with a woman who has done it 
all and is admired across America.
  There is an old saying that all politics is local. That is true even 
for the Senator from North Carolina, who was the first viable female 
candidate for President, held two different Cabinet positions, and 
worked for four Presidents. You see, Elizabeth's first campaign was for 
the presidency of her third grade Bird Club. She won that race.
  Elizabeth began impressing many early on as she earned her bachelor's 
degree from Duke University and both a master's and a law degree from 
Harvard. Of the 550 members of her Harvard Law class, only 29 were 
women.
  From there, Elizabeth went to the White House Office of Consumer 
Affairs, and then the Federal Trade Commission. In 1972, she met a 
Senator from Kansas when she lobbied him on a consumer-affairs issue.
  In 1975, Elizabeth and Bob Dole were married in Washington Cathedral, 
creating one of the most prominent and successful partnerships in 
American public life.
  Elizabeth later headed President Reagan's Public Liaison Office, and 
then in 1983 became his Secretary of Transportation. She served for 
4\1/2\ years, longer than any previous transportation secretary at that 
time. And as transportation secretary, she was fond of pointing out 
that she was the first woman to ever head a branch of the Armed 
Services: the Coast Guard.
  When her husband Bob introduced Elizabeth at her confirmation 
hearings, he displayed some of his trademark wit by remarking, ``I only 
regret that I have but one wife to give for my country's 
infrastructure.''
  When Elizabeth had her turn at the microphone, she got him right 
back. She assured the committee that she knew all about airbags, 
because she had been driving around with one for years.
  In 1989, Elizabeth became one of the few Americans honored to lead 
more than one Federal department by becoming the first President Bush's 
Secretary of Labor. Among the highlights of her tenure there was 
playing a key role in resolving a bitter 11-month coal strike in 
southwest Virginia.
  I would even go so far as to say that Elizabeth was the second-best 
Secretary of Labor this country's ever had.
  Elizabeth went on to become the president of the Red Cross, and 
revitalized that important institution. And of course, she became a 
familiar face to all Americans in 1996 when Bob became the Republican 
nominee for President of the United States, and when Elizabeth blazed 
yet another trail in 2000 as the first viable female candidate for that 
same office.
  During her time here in the Senate, Elizabeth used the same desk her 
husband used. From behind that desk, she has been a powerful advocate 
for her State and her country.
  North Carolinians can be proud of her record to strengthen our 
military and to support military personnel and veterans. She worked to 
craft a farm bill to benefit North Carolina agriculture. She has done 
much to address hunger in America, by championing tax incentives to 
encourage volunteerism and charitable giving, and through grant 
programs to benefit food banks and relief organizations.
  The ``Dole'' in the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education 
and Child Nutrition Program may be for her husband, Bob, as the program 
is named after him and former Senator George McGovern. But it was 
Elizabeth Dole who secured more than $400 million for the McGovern-Dole 
program to go toward school-feeding and child-nutrition programs in the 
world's poorest countries.
  Let me take this moment to say, on behalf of my wife Elaine and 
myself, that Elizabeth and Bob have been dear friends of ours for many 
years. In fact, had it not been for Elizabeth, Elaine probably never 
would have come to Washington in the first place, therefore I obviously 
never would have met her, so I feel a special obligation to--and thanks 
to--Senator Dole for that. We value their friendship, and I know we 
will continue to do so for many years to come.
  Elizabeth, I want to thank you for always bringing wisdom, grace and 
integrity to this chamber. Over decades of accomplishments in many 
prominent posts, you have served the people of America and of North 
Caroline extremely well.
  I know your constituents are proud, and Bob is proud, of your 
service. Elaine and I wish you both well in whatever the future has in 
store for you. And we look forward to hearing all about it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina is recognized.
  Mrs. DOLE. Madam President, I wish to express my deepest thanks for 
the very kind words of the distinguished ``gentleman'' from Kentucky. I 
feel very close to this gentleman because we have been very good 
friends for so many years. Certainly your wife, Elaine Chao, who is 
doing a tremendous job as Secretary of Labor, has been a friend for 
many years. In fact, we worked together at the Department of 
Transportation as colleagues and then also when she was president of 
United Way and I was president of the American Red Cross. So our paths 
have continued to cross in terms of our professions but also in terms 
of personal relationships and the warmth and friendship.
  Mitch, I can't tell you how proud I am of your leadership as the 
Republican leader, and I am so proud you have been reelected by your 
colleagues. You do a tremendous job. You are a master of the Senate. 
Through the years, you and I have had a chance to work together on many 
issues. Of course, it was my privilege early on--I believe in my first 
year in the Senate--to visit the University of Louisville and the 
McConnell Center for Political Leadership and to speak to the McConnell 
Scholars. That is just one of many things you are doing to help others 
outside the Senate as well as the tremendous work within the Senate.
  Just know I treasure your friendship. I look forward to being in 
close touch

[[Page S10621]]

and hope there will be many other initiatives on which we can work 
together, Elaine and Bob and I, in the years to come. Thank you so much 
for those most kind words wishing me well. I wish you all the very 
best.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, you just witnessed the classic 
Elizabeth Dole. I came out here to do a tribute to her, and she turned 
around and did a tribute to me. This is, I would say, indicative of the 
way Senator Dole has conducted herself in public life throughout her 
service. We are going to miss her in the Senate, but I know she will 
continue to make important contributions to our country.
  We revere your legacy and look forward to continuing our friendship 
in the coming years.
  Mrs. DOLE. Thank you so much.

                              gordon smith

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I rise with sadness to say goodbye to 
our friend the Senator from Oregon, Gordon Smith. For 12 years, he has 
made the people of Oregon proud by serving as a model legislator: 
thoughtful, independent, and focused on getting results for our country 
and his State.
  Gordon heard the call to serve others early in life, becoming an 
Eagle Scout as a boy and taking a 2-year mission to New Zealand for his 
church. He earned his bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University and 
his law degree at Southwestern University.
  He then bought back the family business, a frozen vegetable company, 
and transformed it into one of the largest and most profitable in the 
country. With Gordon's departure, we are losing the Senate's only 
member of the Frozen Food Hall of Fame.
  Gordon's desire to serve led him to run for the Oregon State Senate 
in 1992. His peers recognized the star in their midst when they 
elevated him first to minority leader, then to Senate president during 
his first term in office.
  Gordon then entered a special election to fill a vacant U.S. Senate 
seat. Election day fell in January 1996, and Gordon lost that race--the 
winner was our colleague, his fellow Senator from Oregon.
  But then Gordon did something no one else has ever done, and proved 
to the people of the Beaver State how much he cared about making sure 
every Oregonian's voice was heard in Washington.
  He ran for the Senate again in the regularly scheduled election later 
that year, making him the only American in history to run for two 
Senate seats in the same year. The people of Oregon gave him their 
trust and Gordon has never let them down.
  Oregonians can rightfully be proud of his conservation record, as he 
championed legislation to successfully secure the protection of 170,000 
acres of wilderness on Steen Mountain and the Bull Run watershed.
  While protecting our natural resources, he also understands the 
importance of the many working Oregonians who depend on his State's 
natural resources for their livelihood. The foremost example of his 
work in that regard is his tireless effort to protect the farmers of 
the Klamath Basin area, and keep their agricultural lands in 
production.
  He has fought to lower the number of uninsured and drive healthcare 
costs down, and has been a tireless advocate for the disabled and 
mentally ill.
  He has sponsored legislation to strengthen the prosecution of child-
exploitation cases, fought for new protections against Internet 
predators, and led the effort to increase funding for programs that 
help victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
  Gordon has also been a leading voice on issues of education, and has 
fought to secure rural schools throughout Oregon. And he has fought for 
lower taxes, so more Oregonians can keep more of what they earn.
  But there is one issue in particular where Gordon led the way in a 
very personal manner for a cause close to his heart. In 2003, Gordon's 
son, Garrett, committed suicide just one day before his 22nd birthday.
  The torment a parent must feel after losing a child must be the worst 
horror imaginable. No amount of sympathy, no words, nothing any of us 
could do could possibly ease the pain in Gordon's and his family's 
hearts.
  Yet even in his grief, Gordon showed us the strength of his character 
when he wrote about his loss in his moving memoir, ``Remembering 
Garrett.'' And he channeled his sadness into successful legislation, 
the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, to create screening programs to 
identify and help youths at risk for suicide.
  I'll never forget his powerful words on behalf of that legislation in 
this very chamber. He said:

       [There's] no owner's manual to help you bury a child, 
     especially when the cause is suicide. So I've committed 
     myself to trying to find meaning in Garrett's life.

  Gordon, with that brave act you prevented the tragedy of suicide from 
befalling countless other families. I can think of no more profound 
example of strength and leadership than that.
  Every Senator knows what a pleasure it is to work with Gordon. He 
believes we were sent here to find solutions, not confrontations. And 
for every day he has served in public office, finding solutions has 
been his goal.
  Gordon, it has been a privilege to work with you these many years, 
and to spend time with you and your wife Sharon. America is a stronger 
Nation thanks to your dedication and spirit of public service. Please 
don't forget you have many friends here, and we all wish you well in 
your bright future.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Cantwell). The Senator from Oregon is 
recognized.
  Mr. SMITH. Madam President, I thank my leader, Mitch McConnell. 
Winston Churchill observed that ``Democracy is not always a polite 
employer.'' That is the case in my reelection effort. Yet I feel 
nothing but gratitude to the people of my State.
  I acknowledge the wisdom of the people of Kentucky in your reelection 
and of the wisdom of my colleagues for electing you again as our 
leader. You are an articulate advocate for causes that I think are 
important for America not to forget in the coming days. It is one of 
the high privileges of my life that I have been able to serve with you 
as a friend and as a colleague.
  I thank you and I thank my Senate family, without respect to party, 
for the help that was given to Sharon and me at the most painful time 
of our lives--to find additional meaning in the life of our son by 
helping the sons and daughters of others. I hope and pray that my 
Senate colleagues, while I am gone, will not forget those who struggle 
with mental illness. I am so proud of Senator Domenici, Senator 
Kennedy, and others who championed mental health parity. It has been a 
privilege to be on their team in this cause. It is a silent cause. It 
is one that does not get a lot of ink or much attention because America 
is still opening its mind to this important area of medicine. But we 
have blazed a new trail, and much of it was because of your leadership, 
sir.
  For the privilege of serving with you, of serving my State, of 
serving with these colleagues here, I thank God and I thank the State 
of Oregon and I say God bless America.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, may I just add a word to my friend 
from Oregon. He has had an extraordinarily successful tenure here. In 
my view, I would say to my friend from Oregon, you can always look back 
on these 12 years with a sense of accomplishment. You have been a major 
player in this institution on a variety of different, extremely 
important matters that will affect each generation to come. So on 
behalf of all of our Republican colleagues, and I am sure on behalf of 
everyone in the Senate, I thank you for your extraordinary service.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, before the Senator leaves the floor--I am 
sorry I had to leave, I was called away from my desk--I wanted to say 
through the Chair to my friend Gordon Smith that I, of course, watched 
all the election results very closely. But my wife watched one election 
result, and that was yours, because of the longstanding relationship 
she has with you and Sharon. The record is very clear of our 
longstanding friendship and our having had a similar experience with 
our loved ones following suicide.
  I am sorry I didn't have more time to maybe write something out that 
may have been more meaningful, but I hope the Senator from Oregon will 
always understand the affection, respect, and admiration I have not 
only for what

[[Page S10622]]

you did in your Senate service but for what you do in your personal 
life.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.
  Mr. DODD. Let me say as well, I don't have a prepared statement to 
make, either, but I want to tell my friend from Oregon how much I have 
enjoyed my work with him over the years on a number of very important 
issues dealing with the issue that the Senator can speak of not only 
with eloquence but with a great deal of passion, and that is the issue 
of mental illness. We were able to pass, in the waning days of our 
session, of course, the mental health parity bill. How important that 
was. Pete Domenici, Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, and others worked on 
it, but Gordon Smith was invaluable in that discussion.
  I enjoyed immensely my work with him during his two terms in the 
Senate. I will say to my friend, the good Lord is not through with you 
yet. There are a lot of things you can do for our country. You have 
done a lot already. So I hope you come back often and see us and know 
you have friends who care about you and cherish you very much. Although 
there is an aisle here that separates us politically, the aisle doesn't 
exist when it comes to respect and admiration. In those terms, I am 
your seatmate in terms of my respect for you. I thank you for all you 
have done.

                              John Sununu

  Mr. McCONNELL. I also rise today to say farewell to the Senator from 
New Hampshire, John Sununu. Although John is the youngest Senator, he 
is one of our brightest. A reporter once wrote that one of John's 
fellow Senators said that if we were ever to lose John, the rest of us 
would have to argue over who would be the smartest person in the 
Senate. But as long as we had John around, there was no argument.
  John impressed people at a young age, earning both a bachelor's and 
master's degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and an MBA from 
Harvard. He received real-world experience working as an engineer in 
jobs I daresay few of our colleagues could try to explain, myself 
included.
  Then one day a seat from New Hampshire in the House of 
Representatives opened up, and John took a good long look at it. John 
has never been the kind of man who felt he deserved a job on the public 
payroll. He did not crave the power and respect that came with holding 
office. Yet we are certainly thankful his great State has sent him 
here.
  Now, 12 years later, I think we can say with confidence that New 
Hampshirites could not have had a more dedicated and principled public 
servant.
  After 6 years of service in the House, New Hampshire sent John to 
this Chamber in 2002. To reach the Senate, he had to face an incumbent 
Senator in the primary and then a sitting Governor in the general. 
Since then, John has compiled a record of which every citizen of the 
Granite State can be proud.
  A student of the free market, John strongly believes lower taxes 
promote growth and expand opportunities. That is why he fought so hard 
to extend the ban on taxes to access the Internet. That tax ban was 
signed into law, and it protects consumers from taxes on Internet 
access, e-mail, and instant messaging for 7 years.
  Just think, if online communications and commerce grow as rapidly 
over the next 7 years as they have over the past 7, John's tax ban will 
not only have promoted economic growth, it will have spared countless 
small businesses and families from a tremendous burden. For that, he 
deserves all of our thanks.
  John's voice was one of the loudest to say that we must tackle tough 
issues now, such as entitlements and the future of Social Security. He 
stood up time and again, calling on Congress to reduce Government 
spending, expand telecommunications service to rural areas, and clean 
up air pollution.
  He also learned firsthand the principle that has made America great, 
our commitment to personal freedom. It is what this country was founded 
on. John understands what makes America work is not what we do in this 
Chamber but what millions of Americans do every day for their families 
and communities.
  John is a kind and compassionate man who is a joy to know. I remember 
well when the senior Senator from Pennsylvania underwent chemotherapy 
in 2005 as part of his treatment for Hodgkin's disease.
  Like many chemotherapy recipients, the Senator from Pennsylvania's 
hair fell out. In a generous act of solidarity with his colleague, John 
shaved his head. That certainly took more commitment than sending a 
get-well card. But that is John Sununu.
  John, I am going to miss you. It has been an honor to work by your 
side over these past 6 years. It has been a joy to know you, your 
lovely wife Kitty, and your family.
  I want them and you to know that we in the Senate admire the depth of 
your convictions and the strength of your heart. I am sure that 
whatever the future holds for you, you will be a huge success.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized.
  Mr. SUNUNU. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for a 
few minutes in response to the very kind remarks of the Republican 
leader.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SUNUNU. First, it is probably appropriate for me to note that the 
haircut that I now sport is an echo of that summer a couple of years 
ago when I cut my hair, or cut all of my hair, in tribute to the 
sacrifice and the celebration of the final chemotherapy treatment of 
Senator Specter.
  He underwent another round of chemo this past summer. In the middle 
of the campaign, I did not think it was appropriate to shave my head. 
So the day after the election, 2 weeks ago, I thought there was some 
pent-up demand in my own heart to remember those tough weeks for Arlen 
Specter. So I was happy to go out and shave my head again. That is why 
it looks a little bit different than it might have during the campaign.
  The Republican leader has been very kind in his remarks. And I cannot 
help but note that I am a little bit too young to have anyone paying 
tribute to my career, as it were, in public service. I believe very 
strongly that you go out, you find work that you love, a job that 
teaches you great things, and if you have some opportunity to serve 
your community, your State, your country in public service, then you 
think seriously about that opportunity.
  That is how I came to the House and even my work in the Senate. I am 
going to have the opportunity to go back and do things that I find 
challenging being an engineer, coming out of a small business 
community. I know there are a lot of great challenges and opportunities 
that await. But I also know there may come another time when there is 
an opportunity to serve, and I will always take those opportunities 
very seriously.
  On election night, whether you win or lose, you always thank the 
people who matter most to you. You thank your family, you thank the 
people of the State of New Hampshire who have been good enough to give 
you the privilege to serve, but you also thank the people who made your 
work possible in the Senate, your colleagues. I cannot think of any 
colleague who has been more supportive and more helpful to me over the 
6 years I have been in the Senate than Senator Mitch McConnell of 
Kentucky.
  The Senator mentioned my work on the Internet tax ban, but the 
Senator from Kentucky did not mention his own work. This was a case 
where it helped to have someone with Senator McConnell's leadership and 
experience because while I waited patiently in the midst of a 
reauthorization of the Amtrak bill, once we had the opportunity to 
offer amendments, I happened to be prepared with an amendment that 
would ban taxes on Internet access. And the leader from Kentucky just 
happened to be prepared with a motion to close debate on that amendment 
so we could finally get a vote.
  While that procedure may sound very arcane to people who may be 
listening to the Senate debate at home, it was absolutely essential in 
bringing that issue to a successful completion. So only by working 
closely with the Senator from Kentucky were we able to get that work 
done on the Internet tax ban. And it is perhaps the work that I am most 
proud of. I think it is the work I have been able to do in the Senate 
that will probably have the most

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lasting economic impact. It is important to leave behind a record that 
you are proud of, but it is also maybe even more important to leave 
behind many fond memories of that work, fond memories of colleagues 
with whom you were able to spend time and, of course, fond memories of 
the friendships you were able to form, both with members of your own 
party and with those on the other side of the aisle.
  Perhaps what I am most proud of overall is that the pieces of 
legislation I was able to sponsor and pass, whether it was the Internet 
tax ban, civil liberties protection that we added under the PATRIOT 
Act, the Wilderness Act that protects 25,000 acres of the White 
Mountain National Forest, were all bipartisan pieces of legislation. 
That means a lot to me.
  I think it will serve me well in any future endeavors I undertake in 
public service. I thank Senator McConnell, the Republican leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, let me just say to my friend from New 
Hampshire, it has been a real privilege to serve with somebody of your 
intellect and ability. I know you are going to be a huge success. You 
have, as we discussed, a lot of your life left. I know you are going to 
be a huge success in the coming years, and I am looking forward to 
seeing more of you in the future.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.

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