January 15, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S403 

workers by owning and operating small 

businesses. 

Republicans have a better proposal 

and other good ideas to help American 

workers. I believe we need to get on the 

Ledbetter bill, as I said a few minutes 

ago, and have an open debate about it 

so the American people can hear Republican alternatives and the Senate 

has an opportunity to vote on more 

than what our good friends on the 

other side have offered. 

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FAREWELL TO SENATOR BIDEN 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I 

turn now to the issue of the moment, 

which is the celebration of the career 

of our good friend from Delaware and 

wishing him well in the future. I remember being sworn in, in January of 

1985, thinking I had gotten to the Senate at a pretty early age. I was 42 years 

old. I thought: Gee, I have gotten here 

at a pretty early age. At the same time 

I was sworn in for my first term, the 

Senator from Delaware was being 

sworn in for his third time. He was 

barely old enough to vote when he got 

here. We were born in the same year, 

but you got a 12-year head start on me, 

I would say to my friend from Delaware, and has had an extraordinarily 

distinguished career. 

When we think about Senator BIDEN, 

certainly we think about his marvelous 

personality, his demeanor, his friendliness. He can have a good riproaring debate without being disagreeable, as we 

all say. He has been a pleasure to work 

with. I say that as somebody who has 

rarely voted on the same side as he 

has. We say goodbye today to an outstanding individual who has been a fixture in the Senate for 36 years and a 

friend to everyone in the Chamber. He 

now, of course, is going to enjoy an 

even greater achievement as he becomes the Vice President of the United 

States. 

I remember right from the beginning 

in 1985, as I was discussing a few minutes ago, that Senator BIDEN made everybody feel comfortable. Although we 

were born in the same year, as I indicated, he certainly got here at an early 

age, and it has allowed him to spend 

most of his adult life in the Senate. 

America got to know JOE pretty well 

over the course of the last year. They 

got a chance to witness his humor, his 

compassion, and, yes, his extraordinary 

decency. They learned firsthand his not 

entirely undeserved reputation for loquaciousness. They met his wonderful 

family. Barack Obama decided he liked 

what he saw in JOE BIDEN as well and 

invited him to be his running mate in 

what turned out to be a spirited Presidential campaign. 

So next week, after the peaceful 

transition of power from one political 

party to another that has distinguished 

our democracy since 1801, JOE BIDEN

will become the 47th Vice President of 

the United States. This inauguration 

marks the first time in almost 50 years 

that two Senators moved directly into 

the offices of President and Vice President. So no matter what outcome some 

of us may have hoped for in the election, I think my colleagues and I can 

feel a little institutional pride at that 

accomplishment—the fact that two 

Senators will be sworn in as President 

and Vice President. 

Everyone knows by now JOE’s famous 

loyalty to his beloved Amtrak and his 

regular commute by rail 80 minutes 

each day from his home in Wilmington 

to the Capitol. We know of his commitment to being home with his family 

every night. 

I am sure every single one of my 

friends in this Chamber has a story to 

tell of working with JOE. For my part, 

one of several efforts JOE and I worked 

together on is the Palestinian AntiTerrorism Act passed in 2006. After the 

election of the Hamas-dominated government in Gaza, JOE recognized, as I 

and others did, the threat that situation posed—and continues to pose as 

we have seen up close over the last 

weeks—the threat it poses to peace in 

the region. Thanks to his efforts, we 

were able to pass and have signed into 

law this important bill which restricts 

U.S. and foreign assistance to the 

Hamas-led government unless and until 

it takes serious steps to renounce terror and publicly recognizes Israel’s 

right to exist. That bill was the right 

thing to do to confront terrorism. I am 

proud of my work with JOE BIDEN on it, 

and I know he is too. 

I have also worked with JOE on tightening sanctions on the dictatorial, illegitimate regime currently ruling in 

Burma. Among other efforts, the Tom 

Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, 

which we collaborated on, restricts the 

importation of Burmese Jade into 

America through other countries. That 

takes a large bite out of every lucrative source of profit for the Burmese 

regime. 

JOE is well versed in these issues and 

many others, thanks to his years on 

the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with much of that time as either chairman or ranking member. I 

know he is particularly proud of his 

role in pushing for NATO expansion in 

Central and Eastern Europe in 1998 and 

in 2003. 

We will all certainly miss JOE’s presence as 1 of 100. It will take some getting used to, to have a Senate without 

him, but the good news is he is not 

going very far. Obviously, Senator 

BIDEN’s election as Vice President is a 

great honor and a fitting tribute to his 

36 years of public service. I look forward to working with him as a key 

player in the incoming administration, 

as Congress and the new President 

work together to tackle the many difficult issues this Nation faces. 

Let me say, on a personal basis: JOE, 

it has been a pleasure knowing you and 

working with you over the years. 

Elaine and I wish you and Jill the very 

best in the coming years. 

I yield the floor. 

RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, leadership time is reserved. 

f 

MORNING BUSINESS 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 

Senate will proceed to a period of 

morning business until 12 noon. 

The Senator from Delaware is recognized. 

f 

FAREWELL TO THE SENATE 

Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, let me 

begin by thanking the leaders for their 

kind comments. It is true that I have 

been here a long time, I say to my 

friend from Kentucky. As a matter of 

fact, I say to my friend from Hawaii, I 

remember the first time I stood on the 

floor as a Senator of the United States. 

It was the desk directly to your left, 

Senator, the top row, second in. It was 

temporarily my desk. I remember 

standing and being told that the desk 

on my right was the desk of Henry Clay 

and on my left Daniel Webster because 

the senior Senators from the respective 

States got those desks. I say to my 

friend from California, it was the only 

time I can remember being speechless 

when I stood there, as a 30-year-old 

kid, thinking: Oh, my God. 

Well, I never thought I would be 

standing here today. I never believed 

serving in this Chamber was my destiny, but it always was a big part of my 

dreams. 

I remember vividly the first time I 

walked in this Chamber, I walked 

through those doors, but I walked 

through those doors as a 21-year-old 

tourist. I had been down visiting some 

of my friends at Georgetown University. I went to the University of Delaware. I had a blind date with a young 

lady from a school they used to call 

Visi Visitation—which is now part of 

Georgetown. My good friend, a guy 

named Dave Walsh, was there. After 

the evening, staying at his apartment, 

I got up and—I shouldn’t say this probably, but I will—I don’t drink. Not for 

moral reasons, I just never had a drink. 

There is nothing worse than being a 

sober guy with a bunch of college guys 

who have a hangover the next morning. 

So I got up and decided to get in the 

car—this is a true story, Senator CARPER—and I drove up to the Capitol. I 

had always been fascinated with it. In 

those days, you could literally drive 

right up to the front steps. I was 21 

years old. This was 1963. I say to my 

friend from Iowa, I drove up to the 

steps and there had been a rare Saturday session. It had just ended. So I 

walked up the steps, found myself in 

front of what we call the elevators, and 

I walked to the right to the Reception 

Room. There was no one there. The 

glass doors, those French doors that 

lead behind the Chamber, were open. 

There were no signs then. I just walked 


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